A threat from the Wild Spaces
by Werebazs
Summary: What if Padmé died on Geonosis? What species lives in the Wild Spaces, besides those we already know? What does a doppelganger Force-magician have to do with them? Sorry about the crappy title and sum. AU, Anisoka
1. Chapter 1

„_Look over there!" Obi-Wan shouted, as the Assault Transport came out of a sand-cloud. Below, and a bit ahead of them a Flitknot speeder, straddled by two Geonosian Fighters was on the run. The grey, bit balding scruff, and the black cloak were unmistakeable._

„_It's Dooku. Shoot him down!" Anakin ordered the clone pilot, but his answer was unpleasant:_

„_We're out of rockets, Sir."_

„_Then follow him!"_

„_We're gone need some help!" Padmé tried argue, but Obi-Wan shook his head:_

„_There isn't time!... Anakin and I can handle this." It seemed Dooku noticed them as well, because in the next second his two guard ships turned back, dropped behind them, and started to fire at their ship. The plane reeled, when the lazerjets hit. As the pilot tried to pull up to avoid a dune, the right wing was struck, the prow barged into the sand, and the whole ship leant. Anakin had felt Padmé and a clone were about to fell off, a moment before it happened. He acted without thinking, reached out through the Force, pulled the Senator –his love- back from the edge, and grabbed her arm, gently but firmly._

„_Careful, Senator!" he said with teasing grin „I can't protect you even from your own clumsiness." Compared to what Padmé's face was promising for him, even the duel with Dooku ahead of them would be a piece of cake, Anakin was sure about it._

„_I can't believe you can joke around in a situation like this!" Obi-Wan cried out._

„_Why, Master? You had ten years to get used to it." As they spoke, Dooku landed at the dock, and ran inside. A second later their ship stopped for a moment, so the two Jedi could jump out. As they wanted to ran after the Count, a huge explosion struck them down from behind. Anakin turned back and watched as the remainings of their transport disappear in the deep. It took him a few moments to understood what'd happened._

„_PADMÉ!"_

* * *

Anakin sat up, soaking wet, gasping heavily from his nightmare. _„Why?"_ he asked himself _„Why do I have to live trought that day over and over again?" _Of course he knew the answer all too well. He still blamed himself. _„You've promised at your mother's grave, that you woundn't fail again. And you broke that promise in less than a standard day. Was it worthy to become a Jedi? You'd lost both your mother, and your love, right after you got them back. Do you really want this life?" _this maletic voice of doupt kept haunting him along with the nightmare in the past one year, so he knew exactly what to reply _„Yes, I do! In fact I want it even more than before. I want to be a Jedi, to protect others from harm. The fact I couldn't do the same for my loved ones, doesn't mean I can't do it for everyone else!"_ There wasn't a single night since the Battle, when he didn't have to see the ship explode, and it was barely rarer when he didn't lose his right to Dooku's master lightsaber skills again and again. Soon he came to the conclusion the best thing he could do when the nightmare starts, to use Jedi meditation to calm his mind down, postponing the dream. The problem with this technic was that, he could use it only when he wasn't exhausted, and was aware the fact that he's dreaming. On other words: he couldn't sleep when he needed it the most.

A lot of things had happened since that fateful day on the Geonosis. He had fought in uncounted battles in this crazy war. He faced Ventress, Dooku's apprentice on Yavin 4, and he thought he pushed her into her death. Obi-Wan had became a member of the Hight Council, and soon after that, Anakin had been knighted. And then had come the battle of Cristophsis, where he met Ahsoka, whom was assigned to be his Padawan by Master Yoda himself. At first he didn't even want to hear about teaching her. Not like he was not proud for that the old Grand Master had found him worthy of such important task, it was much more because he didn't find himself worthy of their trust. Yes. He, the „Chosen One", who only a few moths earlier had thought about himself as a match for anyone in the Council, he was doupting in himself. He had two reasons for it: because he let Padmé to be murdered, he felt he was unreliable, afraid of the possibility of the youngling would die beside him, and his newborn fear of the Dark side. He had never really believed everything the Jedi taught about it before his duel against Dooku. But when the Count's blade chopped of his arm, a vision of the future ran through before his mind-eyes. He saw himself slaying younglings trough the corridors of the Temple, and fighting Obi-Wan surrounded by flames. At this point however he's head hit the floor, his body fell on top of his Master, and the vision disappeared as it came, leaving only the agony at the place of his missing right. He had more than enough time to think about what he saw, and realised how right Yoda had been, when they had met for the first time. The death of his mother and Padmé, pushed him dangerously close to the Dark Side. And when he had come to this conclusion, he had seen why was it nearly impossible to turn back if someone stepped on the path of fear. Now that he understood he's concern about his beloved ones really had lead him one by one to anger, hatred and suffering, he was afraid of letting anyone too close to him. But this fear would also had pushed him through the steps again and again. So instead of letting himself think about it, he tried to turn every bit of his attention to the war. But this was just another path of darkness. At the end it had been Yoda's wisdom what helped him, with putting the responsibility of guiding a Padawan on his shoulders. _„Only a year ago, I was just a hot-headed, arrogant Padawan. I never really understood why is Master Yoda respected so much, besides his age. But now I see. He could help me, when even Obi-Wan could not. But I'm afraid, he made a mistake. I'm starting to get too attached to Ahsoka. I don't know how far would I be pushed farther towards the Dark Side if something happened to her as well. See? Here it comes again..."_ he couldn't think anylonger, because his comlink started to sign…

* * *

„Ahsoka, where is Anakin?" Master Kenobi's hologram asked. Along with Master Yoda, Windu, and Mundi, he was „standing" at the other side of the planning-table, facing her, Master Luminara, and Bariss.

„I've just talked with him, he'll be here in a few minutes."

„Then go, and tell him we need you two immediately in the interrogator of Negotiator! To discuss this business we need to talk pesonally."

„Alright." she said and ran out, calling her Master throught the comlink. A few seconds later, he answered:

„I'M ON MY WAY!" his voice howled from the small device, like he was next to his Padawan.

„Master, I've got new orders from Obi-Wan, he wants us immediately…" as she turned on a corner, she bumped into Anakin „…on his ship." she finished, with a smile.

„Great! What the hell is it now?" As turned back, and headed to the docks where he left the Twilight Ahsoka glared at his back in disbelief. _„What's with him? He's usually glad when there's a mission ahead."_

„What are you waiting for? Didn't you say, Obi-Wan wants us immediately?" he shouted back to her, with an „I'm in a bad-mood, so I kick in everyone"-tone. The young togruta girl ran after him, and decided not to bother with trying to question what his problem was. She knew him well enough, to know it'd be pointless.

* * *

„Finally, you're here. It took you long enough." Obi-Wan „greeted" them as they stepped in the interrogator. While they were on their way, Master Plo, Secura, and Fisto's holograms joined the other Jedi.

„What was so urgent?" Anakin asked.

„Look it for yourself." his ex-master pointe on the window of the room. On the other-side a human male was sitting, who could have been Anakin's twin-brother!

* * *

**Hello there!**

**I know this was very slow, and I'd guess it's full with grammatical mistakes -particularly the past tenses gave me a headache here- but I promise to try to speed it up a bit.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello there!**

**Finally I managed to finish this chapter -it gave me a real headache to how to build up the back-ground of the doppelganger, as I had a vastly different original idea. Unfortunately I planned it out half a year ago, but didn't write it down, so only the base has remained in my memory.**

**nat13cat, AldamonBurst, Crazy Chick 08 thank you for the reviews. CC08 don't worry, I'm not planning to keep Anakin a jerk-he was like that only because he was upset about his nightmare.**

**I'd like to ask everyone, to point out my mistakes in your reviews. I don't mean maily the grammar -albeit I could use some help with that too- but rather the logical ones.**

**And finally I have little bit sad news: I decided to put two of my Stories (The War of Ragnarok and The True Story of the Royal Knights) on a break, due to my dwindled interest in Digimon, and beacuse I developed a "writer's boredom" about the stories. I'm really sorry about it, but I'm just unable step forward with them. So I guess I can call this story a refreshment, in order to regain my enjoyment in writing.**

**I'm already on Ch3, hopefully I'll be ready with it by Sunday.**

**Hope you'll like it!**

* * *

„Who the hell is this guy?" Anakin cried out. „Is he a clone?"

„No, not quite." Obi-Wan replied calmly.

„Then what is he? Don't tell me he's my lost twin brother!"

„No, he's not. We've already made a blood test. He's not related to you at all."

„Who is he?" Ahsoka repeated the question, while she was looking from her Master to the „prisoner" and back. „Did he comit something?"

„Why do you think that Padawan?" Windu's hologram asked her.

„Otherwise a doppelganger wouldn't be a reason for an emergency call."

„Oh come on Ahsoka, don't tell me you can't feel it!" Anakin yelled at her angrily. She looked at him huffily, but calmed down her mind, focused on the Force, and shrieked when she felt the man's dark aura. He was obviously well trained in the usage of the Dark Side, and he was nearly as powerful as Master Kenobi.

„So, is he a Sith, or just another one of Dooku's Acolytes?" Anakin asked contemptuously.

„Neither. I don't know what kind of training did he receive, but it certainly was not by Jedi, nor by Sith. His ship came out from the hyperspace right in front of us. We tried to connect them on radio, but they didn't answer, so we were afraid of they're Separatists, and since I sensed his presence, I thought maybe Ventress is onboard. So we caught them with the tractor beam."

„Did he let himself to be captured?" Ahsoka asked.

„No, he tried to resist. He used this." Obi-Wan showed a strange, black bladed sword.

„Wait." Anakin took it from his former Master and examined it carefully. „Is this blade, strong enough to be used against a lightsaber?" he asked bewildered.

„Sure it is. I think it's atomic structure was manipulated by the Dark Side."

„I want to speak with him." Anakin stated, but Obi-Wann shook his head:

„As much as I hated it, we had to stun him, so we can't question him right now. Anyway, I doupt he'd say anything, and he's way too strong to use Mind Control on him. Fortunately, he had someone else on board with him."

„Who?" Obi-Wan made a grimace while he replied:

„A Togruta girl, about the same age as you Ahsoka."

„Alright, this is starting to get ridiculous." the girl answered. _„We bump into a doppelgänger of Anakin with a Togruta of my age. What are the chances for this?" _

„Wait until his name you hear." Yoda's hologram introupted with a troubled tone.

„Why, what is it?" Anakin asked, without looking at the Masters. He couldn't tore his eyes of off the man.

„Well according to the girl, he's surname is…" Obi-Wan started, scratching his beard. It was obvious that he felt awkward.

„So what is it?" Anakin finally managed to turn his back to the window, facing Obi-Wan.

„Well… it's Hellrider." Anakin dropped his chin, paused, then yelled at the Masters:

„That's enough! He looks like me, he is a Force-user, he has a teenage Togruta with him, and his name is the polar opposite of mine? Tell me this is a joke!"

„I wish I could." Obi-Wan said with a sad smile. „We should move on. The girl is in the other room. We delayed questioning her until you got here."

„Fine. Let's see her." Anakin replied, sending one more glimpse at „Hellrider", stepped to the door, but turned back when he realised nooneelse moved except him.

„What?" he asked impatiently.

„Skywalker, that girl was the slave of this man, she was presumably abused and now she's tremblening in fear for her life." Master Windu explained „I don't think it would be good for her, if she saw you. She could mistook you and this guy, and do something silly." Anakin couldn't move or say anything for seconds after he heard this. Finally he managed to gaspe a question:

„Did you say _**slave**_?" he was trembleing from anger. He didn't hate anything more than slavers. He remembered all too well his childhood on Tatooine. The years with Watto were tolerable, but the memories of the few months while Shmi and he had been the properties of Gardulla, still made him sick to the stomach.

„Anakin!" Obi-Wan said in a partly warning, partly comforting tone „I know how much you hate slavery, but don't let your temper out of control!" Anakin took a deep breath, and calmed down his mind before replying:

„Pardon, Masters. Does she have a transmitter?"

„Yes, but I already deactivated it. Fortunately, the de-activator was on their ship. Later we'll send her to a hospital on Corruscant, and remove that thing."

„Allright then, who shall speak with her?" odd silence was the only reply he got, until Yoda broke it:

„Very afraid she must be. Tano Padawan, the best chance of speaking with her, you have." Upon hearing this, the girl suddenly wanted to be somewhereelse.

„Master Yoda, with all the respect, are you sure about this? I've never done an interrogation before."

„Well you won't do it this time either." Anakin snapped on it. „You'll only have to speak with her friendly, ask for her, and offer our help. Don't worry, I'm sure you can handle this." and he gave her a courageing smile, which was enough to convince her. She nodded and she, Anakin, Obi-Wan and the droid who projected the hologramms of the other Masters left the room.

* * *

Ahsoka stopped in front of the door of the quarters, where her fellow Togruta was accomodated, and knocked. The door slid open with a rustling noise, and she stepped in. The other girl was sitting at the table, finishing the last of her dinner. Judged by the speed she bolted it down, Ahsoka was sure about that she hadn't eaten enough for quite a long time. Her unhealthily thin, bone-and-skin figure proved this as well. She looked up, and seemed to be surprised at the sight of Ahsoka. The young Padawan took a deep breath and greeted her:

„Hello, my name is Ahsoka Tano." she said with a smile. The girl measured her suspiciously, and answered only after a long pause:

„Hi, I'm Ala Tiannai. Are you a Jedi?"

„I'm just a Padawan, a learner." Ahsoka felt a huge relief for that Ala even replied to her at all.

„Look Ala, I know you must have been through horrible things, but we must get answers to a few questions. Do you think you could give us them?" the girl nodded, and Ashoka continued:

„Thank you. First of all who is this man, and how did you end up with him?" Ashoka saw the pain, anger and fear in the other girls eye, and was about to apologise and reindite the question, but before she could Ala asked back, whispering:

„How is he? Can he hear us? Can he get here?" Ahsoka looked at her surprised, but shook her head and replied:

„There's no way. He is at the other end of the ship, he's stunned and fettered. Besides there are two of the strongest Jedi aboard with us, along with 2000 troopers. Don't worry, he can't hurt you." Ala gave a timid, unsure nod, then started to speak, so silently, it was barely more than whispering:

„It all started eight years ago, when I was nine. I had lived in a small village on Shili, until one night a pirate fleet ambushed us." her eyes clouded as she remembered. „They had bombarded the village with incendiaries, captured everyone who managed to get out of the houses and hadn't been injured. They left the ones who caught fire or trapped inside to burn to death." she paused, fighting her tears.

„I'm so sorry." Ashoka tried to say, but couldn't master her voice. She wanly remembered hearing about something like this in the Temple, but she had been only seven at that time, and had been barely able to recall anything about her home planet. Ala slowly calmed down, and continued:

„I was relatively lucky, because I had been out with my father and sisters. Unfortunately their marauders found us. Dad tried to hold them back, but they stunned us all. When I regained my consciousness I was in the cargo bay of a ship, along with dozens of other captives. Twi'leks, Dugs, Togruta, Talz even a few Humans and Wookies were there, but I couldn't find anyone from my village. I guess they were imprisoned on the other ships. The pirates took us to a Slave market on Nar Shaddaa –I know it, because we heard the pirates talking about how much they will be paid for us. From that, everyone I spoke with, was afraid of being sold to one of the Hutts. I almost wish that, that had happened."

* * *

Anakin clenched his mechanic fist as he listened Ala's „story". His former Master noticed it, and put his hand on his shoulder:

„Easy, Anakin. I know you're frustrated, but keep your cool." Anakin took a deep breath, and nodded. He and Obi-Wan were monitoring the questioning through the camera, that Ashoka took with her. Ala's image on the screen continued:

„There were roughtly threehundred captive aboard the four pirate ships. However before the pirates took us to the market, they met someone else in the docks. I think he was a Devaronian, but his white as a ghost, and he didn't have irises. Just the whites, and blacks of his eyes." she shrieked as she recalled „He simply walked around, and chosen fifty out of us: twenty Twi'lek, Human and Togruta female -including me, albeit I was only a child, while all the others were adults-, and thirty males of various species, but mainly Talz and Wookies. Then his men dragged us to their own ships, and they took off. We were locked up in the cargos again. Neither the Devaronian, nor the crew told us a word during the whole trip."

„How long did it take?" Ahsoka's voice interroupted her.

„I don't really know. There were no clocks in the cargo…after all time isn't one of a slave's concerns. But I know how long it took the way to here. We spent the last half year here. The Queen sent her son here, to spy…

„Queen? What queen?

* * *

„So, how's it going?" Anakin asked the technician, who was trying to reprogramme the Negotiator's map reader, so it could use the files they found on the captured ship's computer. It worked with highly different methods, than the Galaxy-standard -no wonder, since it came form the space beyond the hyperspace disturbance. Nearly two standard days passed since Ashoka questioned Ala. She told them everything she knew about this new „queen" and her „empire":

_Flashback_

„_They call themselves the Conquistador Empire, althought it started out from a single pirate-ruled sector, which I think you call Crispin system. I heard only the rumors, what elder slaves told, so there could be a bunch of false information in what I know. So, if everything is right, it had started when Captain Hellfire –who later became the „Queen"- had found a hyperspace-route through the hyperspace disturbance at the edge of the asteroid belt. She decided to take her chanses and left the galaxy with her fleet, about…30 years ago, counted with your calendar. Presumably, she was hoping for easy prey and material, which she could get by slave work, not to mention a perfectly safe hiding place. But she bumped into something she didn't even dare to dream of. A miniature satellite galaxy, -albeit, it doesn't really deserves this name- about twenty-thousand parsecs over the edge of this Galaxy, containing a mere 20 star-systems. He found sentinel life on a total of ten planets in five systems. Two of them were very highly developed. In most views they vastly outclassed the best technologies she had, but they had no military technology, and even their best space-technology could reach only their neighbour systems. So Captain Hellrider, and her fleet had no problem with conquering and slaughtering them. They left only the scientists alive, and a few hundred others with „breeding" purposes, as well as to corner the scientists into co-operation. Another important discorvery was when they found a metal, which they later named superium. Silly name for a matter, right? But it covers it's attributions perfectly: if crafted on the right way, it's able to withstand even being in the middle of a supernova explosion without being melted, or crashed. She forced the captured scientists to create superium-platting for her ships, and then –leaving a few ships and about half of her crew behind to guard their captives, she returned to the Galaxy, and one-by-one forced the pirate-lords of the Outer Rim into collaboration. She also hired smugglers to steal battle-droid and spaceship drafts from the best-known corporations."_

„_Wait a minute…" Ashoka interroupted „Pirates aren't famous for their loyalty. Why didn't the crew she left behind took advantage of the scientists and the metal, and built their own fleet or something?"_

„_Because they were afraid of her. She was a witch, who could murder with a glimpse of her eyes!"_

_End Flashback_

At first Anakin couldn't believe this part of the story, until Obi-Wan revealed that there're rumours about a planet somewhere in the Outer Rim, where Human natives lived, who called themselves Daughters of Allya, but who knew about them, mainly refered to them simply as „witches", and it's assumable, that their „magic" is an imperfect method to use the Force. However, they've been never mentioned anywhere, safe for smuggler and pirate tales. So, if this Queen Hellrider really was a witch, she must had been one of them, corrupted by the Dark Side. Ala also told them, that a few days earlier, the „Prince" got a message, about her mother had died. _„Upon hearing this, the Prince laughed, and said, that it had been time for the old bitch to kick the bucket, and he decided to go back and take over the territories she had conqured in the past decades. He also planned to attack this Galaxy, once the Republic and the CIS had had deplteted each other. However to do so, first he would have to force the Pirate Lords into electing him. And it wouldn't have been easy, as his mother gave trendemous power to her personal body-guard (who's also a witch), and she also assigned her as the new Queen. However, he forgot to check the hyperdrive before we left, and it has broken down. That's how you found us."_

„It's almost ready, General. I think you can call the meeting in ten minutes." the technician replied.

„Good. I have to talk with Obi-Wan anyway." Anakin said, as turned away, and left to find his brother. Something was fishy about Ala, but for some reason only the two of them seemed to notice it. The fact that Admiral Block, Cody or the other officers onboard didn't care about it, was not a wonder. The Council's ignorance didn't surprise him either, they saw only records. But he has even spoken with the girl –she told them, that she had seen him multiple times on the Holonet News broadcasts in the past months, so she knew about him and Hellfire are doppelgangers of each other-, but that even Ashoka didn't find anything strange in the girl, made him worry. _„How does a slave girl know so much? Why is she acting so different from herself from time-to-time? For instance, most time when she speaks about this „Prince" Hellrider, she rather sounds as an obsessed fan, than a slave, and if she's asked about it, she denies it, and switches back to the tone she first used. Why have I the feeling when I speak with her, that with each words she tries to manipulate me?"_

At this second an explosion shook the Negotiator…

* * *

**Please Review!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello again!**

**I know I promised this to be ready by over a week ago, but it eventually grew way longer than I expected, and I was also low on time a bit.**

**Just to avoid confusement: this chapter takes place immediately _before_ the last paragraph of the previous chapter, this leads up to the explosion that shook the Negotiator at the end.**

**Also just for the record: I've decided to change the year Ahsoka was born in, from 36BBY to 37BBY. Which means in this AU she was 15 instead of 14 upon her introduction, and she's 16 during the events of this story.**

**Hope you'll enjoy it!**

* * *

Ahsoka Tano sat at a table in the canteen of the Negotiator, fumbling the remainders of her dinner. She was really upset about her Master... or rather about herself? At first Anakin had seemed to pity Ala, but since he has spoken with her for the first time, he had kept saying that something was wrong with the girl. Later Master Kenobi also turned mistrustful towards her, albeit Ahsoka had a feeling, he agreed with his former apprentice only because he had learnt to have faith in Anakin's senses. But Ahsoka was sure about that, this time he was wrong. She had been so certain, she „told" it in his eyes:

_An hour earlier:_

„Ahsoka, I think it would be better if you don't talk with Ala for some time." Anakin said after his umpteenth conversation with the girl. At first Ahsoka couldn't believe her ears, and she was barely able to ask:

„What? Why?"

„I have a bad feeling about her. I don't know why, but I feel like she's trying to manipulate everyone who speaks with her."

„Arhh Master, you've kept saying this in the past two days. Did you find anything in her story to doupt about?"

„No, but…"

„Did she say anything that supports your suspicions?"

„No, but…"

„Does Master Obi-Wan share your concerns?"

„No, but…"

„Then why won't you give it up? I've thought you'd be more commiserating with her, taking that you had been a slave once as well." surprised anger ran through Anakin's face upon hearing this, but he answered calmly

„My past has nothing to do with this situation. I'm sure about that this girl is dangerous. She's hiding or waiting for something. I know it."

Ahsoka barely could stop herself from bursting out in a laught:

„You're turning paranoid for your old days, Skyguy." she said with way more edge and sarcasm in her voice, than the acceptable. No wonder Anakin raised an eyebrow with indignation.

„What's with that tone, **Padawan**?" Ahsoka knew she had already stepped way over the line – her Master barely addressed her „padawan"- and it temporarly shut her mouth up. In that moment she hadn't had an idea about where did she find the courage to sauce Anakin like that. But she didn't apologise, instead looked in his eyes, and waited for him to continue.

„Very well. Look Ahsoka, I know you befriended with Ala, and that's exactly my concern. You can't remain objective when talking with, or about her. And that's risky, especially if I'm right, and she really tries manipulate us. Please trust me. She's dangerous, I feel it. No, not through the Force…just in my guts."

„Master, I apologise." Ahsoka said „You're not turning paranoid. You're turning conceited." for a second Anakin could only blink. Then before he could reply, Ahsoka continued:

„I don't care what your super-senses are saying! You're not the only Jedi here, even Master Kenobi says you are wrong! And I can sense her as clearly as you do, and I perfectly trust her, along with Obi-Wan!"

„You're going too far!" Anakin raised his voice, but she didn't give up:

„Maybe you are the Chosen One, but don't think it makes you infallible!"

„That's enough!" he yelled at her, raising his right. For a second Ahsoka thought he'd slap her across the face, but then she realised he only wanted to show her his mechanic arm: a permanent reminder of how overconfident he had been about his skills. „I know it very well that I could be wrong." he said on a softer voice „I've learnt that on the hard way." Ahsoka stared at his face. He didn't look angry, just… hurt. „Now go and calm down your mind! Meditate, and you'll see that I'm right about Ala."

Present

„_Arrgh I can't believe I've talked to Master Skywalker like that! What the hell was I thinking?"_ Ahsoka thought with guilt. She was so angry with herself, she wanted to bash her head in the table. Only the presense of the legions of clones around, stopped her from doing so. However, she was still sure about that Ala didn't mean any threat. She only regreted the way she had spoken with her Master. _„I don't have the right to speak with him like that. And he didn't deserve it either… Is it really the way he treats Ala, or was it something else that bugged me into doing that?"_ she asked herself again and again. Truth to be told, that Anakin hadn't trust Ala, concerened Ahsoka far less than the fact, that he didn't trust her senses either. She knew that his senses were far sharper than her's. She knew he was the Master and she was just a Padawan. She knew he was the Chosen One, while she was just another, one-out-of-a-dozen Jedi to-be. And she hated this knowledge. It was the reason behind her reckless, sometimes even crazy attemps to proove that, she was worthy to be the apprentice of the _Chosen One_ –in front of him and the entire Order, as well as in front of herself. _„Could this be the reason? Did I take his doupt in Ala, as a personal insult?... Ohhh what's with me? Lately I can't get a hold on myself, if it's about him."_ She stood up, and left the cantine. She headed to the quarters, where Ala was accomodated temporarly. _„Even if I'll get into trouble for it," _she thought _„I must speak with her at least once more."_

_

* * *

_

Count Dooku broke his Sith Meditation, as his Holoprojector signed an incoming call. He stood up, start the machine and greeted the appearing hooded figure.

„Master Sidious." he said, bending before his superior.

„Lord Tyranus. I guess you know why I have called you." the Sith Lord's usually maletic, but always calm voice was trembling this time.

„Yes, Master, I can feel it too. A great disturbance within the Dark Side. I've never felt something like this before. What does it mean?"

„We've got new adversaries." he replied. Dooku saw his mouth flinch into a beastial snarl. _„This can't mean any good for us."_ he thought, as Sidious continued:

„I feel that the maze of destiny is changing rapidly. If we don't act quickly my friend, my master plan might will be be ruined. According to my inteligence, some of the ones, who are responsible for this disturbance are on Kenobi's flagship, near to the Kalinda system."

„That're good news for us, aren't they Master? Kenobi had been a spike under our nails anyway. Grievous has a strong fleet ready only a few hundred parsecs away from them. He planned to conquer a strategic keypoint with it, but that can wait. Shall I order him to attack Kenobi?"

„No, Darth Tyranus, no! Don't make rush moves." Sidious answered coldly „There are more in this, than what we know at the moment. It wouldn't be wise, if we acted without full knowledge of this situation. Be patient, but tell the General to be prepaired for any possibilities!"

* * *

Ahsoka was gasping heavily, as she ran trough the corridors of the Negotiator. _„Where the hell did she disappeared into?"_ she had thought she'd explode, when the clone, who stood guard at Ala's empty room explained he couldn't rememeber anything, that had occured after he took his position and before Ahsoka asked him about the girl. Finally she arrived to the hulks.

„NO!" she let out a scream, when saw Hellrider had dissapeared too.

„Soldier!" she yelled to the clone, who didn't respond at all _„Just like the other one."_ she thought, so she yelled at him again: „Soldier!" this time the clone winced, looked down to her, and salutated:

„Yes, Sir?"

„Where is the prisoner?"

„The prisoner?" he asked back confused „He's right…" he stucked in the middle of the sentence as he turned around and saw the empty cell. „Wha-whe-how…?"

„Do you remember anything strange?"

„No, Sir. I've come here just… What time is it? WHAT? This can't be! I had just relived the previous guard! It's impossible that one hour has passed since then!" Ahsoka wasn't listening to him. She was busy with trying to reach her Master through her comlink, but the device didn't seem to work.

„Damn it! Soldier, does your commicator work?"

„I'll check it. Hell, mine is down too, Sir."

„Then go, inform the Generals and Admiral Block about this, and also tell them that Ala Tiannai, the Togruta girl went missing as well."

„Yes, Sir! What will you do?"

„I'll try to locate them! Move it!" she shouted back over her shoulder. _„Hellrider is a powerful Force-user. He must have tricked the guard's mind, and then kidnapped Ala. But how? I thought he was drugged. Ahh never mind!... Lets see, if I was him, where would I go? I doupt he would escape with a pod. It'd be noticed immediately, no matter how well he tries to hide it. And they wouldn't get far with it either. That means he either will try to take over the Negotiator, or steal a ship. With two Jedi Masters on board, I doupt he'd go against the bridge, so he must headed to the hangar!" _she ran as fast as she could, using the Force to enchance her speed, near to the maximum her body could bear. As her sight wasn't realiable at this speed, she let herself to be aided by her Togrutan-ability of echolocation. Altough she practised with it, and used it in some ocassions previously, her steps were still a bit unsure. _„Wait a second. I should call for some help. I can't beat that guy on my own." _she thought as she passed by two clones. _„No, I can't. Most of them don't know about Hellrider and Master Skywalker are identical. They'd follow his orders without question. Even if they wouldn't, I can't put them in danger. I can hold him up long enough for the Masters to find us, but the clones would be slained within seconds."_ as she turned on the last corner in front of the hangar, she almost slammed into a mass of crew, who were leaving. She barely stopped, and then asked one of the clones:

„Soldier, why do you abandon your place?" but he didn't answer. Neither did the others. _„It seems I was right."_ She fought her way through the mass, and saw the door was about to close. She ran for it, and barely slipped through between the wings. She immediately noticed Hellrider and Ala at the ramp of their ship. She collected her strenght, and jumped between them, igniting her lightsaber.

„Stop right there, Hellrider!" she shouted at the man, who turned around. Ahsoka winced, when she looked in his face. Maybe his features were identical with her Master's, but not the look in his eyes, neither the grin on his face. They reflected nothingelse, but wicked malice, and a sick amount of egoism.

„Ah welcome, youngling. I'm grateful for that, you came here so quickly, and alone. You made our deal far simplier with it."

„Shut up, or I'll stab you!" she said threateningly „Ala, are you alright?" she asked the girl without turning away from the man, who started to laught at this:

„Oh, I wouldn't be worried about her, if I were you."

„I told you to shut up!" she yelled, holding her lighsaber closer to him.

„You should have listened to him." a new voice said behind her. Ahsoka turned around, just to see Ala, with the same expression on her face as Hellrider, pointing her right hand's fingers at her. Before the young Padawan could say something, or move a muscle, blinding, blue-and-white lightning erupted from Ala's fingertips and strucked her down.

* * *

„_Something is wrong here."_ Obi-Wan though. He was on a meeting of the High Council in the Operations Room of the Negotiator. They were discussing Anakin's doppelganger and the news they got from Ala, about this „Conquistador Empire". But it wasn't what worried him. He felt some sort of disturbance in the Force, but poorly, like it's cause was lightyears away from him.

„Troublesome news, these are." Yoda's hologram moaned „About the Pirate fleet, what did the girl say?"

„According to what little she could tell, they have a Main Fleet about half of the total seize of the current Republic Navy. In addition, they presumably have a massive technological advantage over us, as well as over the Separatists. But that's the least of our concerns."

„That's true. What do we know about this new Queen?" Master Windu asked.

„We know that she was the personal body-guard of the previous Queen, and she's also a Force-user. However, we have no idea about how powerful she is. But taking that the Queen had chosen her, over her own son as the heritor, suggests that she's even stronger than he is."

„How does the de-coding of material, found on the captured ship's navy-computer go?"

„It should be ready in any minutes by now. Anakin oversees it himself."

* * *

Pain. Burning pain...She didn't think, not even in her nightmares, that such agony could exist…

Ahsoka screamed on the top of her lungs, as the electric shock run through her entire body, causing spasms in each one of her muscles. She screamed from the white-hot, rampageous energy, that she thought would burn her alive. Although she already had been unfortunate enough to be electrocuted, it couldn't possibly prepare her for the energy of a Force-lightning. The power of Bane's tool was just about nothing, compared to this. Despite her senses were overladen and confused, she still felt that, when someone Force-pushed her with increadible power, from behind. She had felt as she flew throught a considerable length, before being strucked into a container. The power of the impact extruded the remaining air from her lungs, and tore the hilt of her lightsaber out of her hand. The agony from the Force-lightning immediately decreased as Ala stopped her assault, but the spasms and pain remained. As she slowly regained her senses, she heard discussion and coming steps.

„I thought you had chosen her as your new host, sweetie." a deep, craggy male voice said.

„Ahh, her will is too powerful. It's a pity tho'. She's strong in the Force, so I could have become much stronger by using her." Fighting with her rebellous body, she looked up. Ala and Hellrider were looking down at her with the grin of the satisfied psychopaths.

„Ala…" she whispered „Why?..." the girl laughed as she replied:

„Ala? Ohh poor little Jedi, you can't see the difference between me and that puny, pathetic slave?" Ahsoka crickled her eyebrows. Ala didn't just acted differently from before. Her voice, her articulation, her… everything was totally different. Now that she observed, she realised that even her Force-presense wasn't the same. If possible, Ahsoka's confusement grew even larger as the the other Togruta entwined herself around the man like a snake and…snogged him, with naked lust.

After a seemingly endless moment they broke the kiss, and sent an evil glimpse towards Ahsoka. To their surprise the girl grinned back at them.

„Congratulation. You fooled me, and beat me." she hissed „But you were stupid enough to uncover yourselves in front of Master Kenobi and Master Skywalker. What were you thinking, using such powerful technics, while being on the run from two Jedi?" for a second they just stared at her. Then they burst out in a laughter.

„Poor, silly girl. Do you really think we're that dumb?" Ala replied. „What do you think, why didn't your famed Masters realise our presence, from the start?" Ahsoka swallowed before asking:

„Are you able to hide not just yourselves in the Force, but your actions too?" delirious light glinted in Ala's eyes.

„That's one of my specialities. As well as playing with others' mind."

„Big deal, any Force-user can use mind-tricks." Ahsoka retorted.

„To the point of deceiveing and manipulating a Jedi Padawan, and even a Master?"

„So, Master Skywalker was right. Your whole story was a big lie, right Ala?"

„Double wrong. Most of the story is true. And I already told you: I'm not that simple-minded, naive, slave girl you first met." Ahsoka was still in pain from being electrocuted, so she thought her ears were playing tricks on her.

„Do you remember what I told about why we had come here?"

„You said you'd been sent here as spies."

„Well that's the only part where I –or should I rather say Ala, or even better, we?- lied to you." She caressed her „boys" face, who kissed her on the neck, before taking over the story.

„It all started when my dear mother, found out about our relationship, and our plan to take over her empire."

„We were both as stong as she was. But we found out a way to surpass anyone, by becoming one in the Force." his face reflected obsession as he recalled. „We were about to became the leaders of the strongest fleet, and military-state, as well as the most powerful Force-users of the universe." his face clouded at this point „However that bitch, my mothers bodyguard forseen our plot, and overthrew it." he subsided into silence, and Ala continued:

„I was doomed to death, and he was forced to watch my execution. After that, her Majesty planned to throw my dear Prince –her own son- into prison for half a year, guarded by her witches, and leave my corpse in his cell, instead of feeding him." Ahsoka felt sick to the stomach just from hearing this. But the duo only laughed, and Hellrider continued their story:

„What my moron mother didn't know about, was one of my discoveries. Years earlier, I found a way to keep someone's soul away from uniting with the Force, and transfer it into another living body.

„When I was executed…" „Ala" said with a wide, evil grin.

„I transfered her into a silly, little, Togruta slave-girl."

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	4. Chapter 4

„What?" Ahsoka couldn't believe her ears. If it wasn't for the pain from the Force-lightning she could have sworn she this whole „conversation" was just a terrible nightmare.

„You heard it right, little one." the girl replied.

„So, you stole Ala's body?" Ahsoka asked. She trembled, but not from her pain anymore. Her indignation started to build up her rage. To think that someone could commit something as sick as this...

„Oh no, I didn't steal it. She was just a slave, which means nothing she had, was in her possesion. Not even her body, or mind. I barely took over her a bit more directly than usual." she answered with a sick laugh.

„That night, she helped me escape from the prison, and we left my mother's empire together. We met with some of the pirate lords she had threatened, and made deals with them, so they'd support me, when the time comes." Ahsoka clenched her fist upon hearing these. She felt her anger, dissapointment, and indignation growing out of control. She felt how they charge her ijured body with energy. The temptation, to crush these two with this new-born power was sooo huge: _„Do it! Make them pay ten times for all the suffering they caused."_ she heard a voice from deep within her mind. _„Don't do it!"_ another, clearer voice shouted at her _„It's the Dark Side, if you use it to avenge Ala, and your own pain, you won't be any better, than they are!" _Ahsoka closed her eyes for a second, took a deep breath, and let her rage to go. _„Even if they'll kill me, I won't use the same technics they do."_she thought and slowly rose to one knee. She felt like she could have counted each cells of her body, as there wasn't a single one which didn't hurt.

„Then tell me: why did you let yourselves to be captured?"

„Because of you, of course. Ala's body was great for me to survive in, but she's a weakling, with no Force-sensitiveness at all. And this highly weakened my own powers. When I saw you on the Holonet News with your poster-boy Master, I thought I had found the perfect vessel. But you dissappointed me."

„I did?"

„Yes. Your will is too powerfull for me, to entirely suppress it."  
"Wait do you mean, Ala still lives?"

„Of course she does. She has no idea about my presense, and she isn't awake while I'm in control. You could even talk to her once."

„When?…"

„When you first met." Hellrider interoupted. „We made a small miscalculation, when we ran into Kenobi's fleet in stead of your Master's. We had to made a quick decision. We let ourselves to be captured."

„We expected the clones would stun him. I can't control Ala all alone yet, and if I tried to release her on purpose, our bond could have been damaged permanently. I need his help for now. When he lost consciousness, I lost my grip over her mind as well. But I was there all along, manipulating her words, charging them with Force so they could have a greater effect on you. But I think we've vasted enough time on you. Make peace with the Force, Ahsoka Tano!" as she was speaking, she and Hellrider clenched their right and left respectively together, and shared another „kiss". Then they turned to the unarmed Padawan, and said one more sentence:

„We shall show you, our true power!" chill ran through Ahsoka's spine, because both of their voices came from both of their mouthes. They lifted their clenched hand, and pointed at her. Ahsoka knew what was coming, and readied herself. _„I won't let them defeat me so easily. If I could held them up for a few more minutes, Skyguy and Obi-Wan can find us and stop them from escapeing." _she hang on this hope, as she collected every drop of her strength to prepare a Force-barrier in front of herself. „Ala" and Hellrider just grinned, and didn't try to stop her. In the next moment unexpectedly, a crimson flamestorm erupted from Ala's fingertips, and at the same time the well-known blue-and-white thunderbolts shoot out of Hellrider's. Ahsoka had a microsecond to decide: she couldn't possibly protect herself from both attacks. She had to chose: the shocking lightning, or the searing fire. _„I have a chanse to survive the Force-lightning, but if those flames set me on fire, I'm doomed."_ so she rose to stand on both of her feet, held her hands up in front of herself, and summoned as much of Force, as much she possibly could master. She'd never tried something like that before. In the next second she felt the attacks slam into the wall she quickly built. She had immedately realised, she'd run out of energy in seconds if she kept this up. She modified the barrier, so it wouldn't stop the flames and lightnings in their tracks, but deflect them on other ways instead, forcing them to avoid her. But it was far from working perfectly. From time to time, the tendrils of the lightning broke through and shocked her, draining her waning energy even more. Futhermore, albeit she protected herself from the flames, she couldn't stop the terrible heat they produced. She shut her eyes and mouth tightly, but they went dry within seconds. The hot air she had to breathe burnt her throat and lungs. Her skin felt like it would melt at any moment. Her clothes started to smoke. _„Oh no, please don't let them be set on fire!"_ she prayed.

„She's doing quite well, isn't she?" Ahsoka could barely hear the terrible dual-voice over the roaming flames and thunderbolts. „Indeed. Let's give her a bit more!" and in the next second the power of the attack was nearly doubled. Ahsoka fall back on one knee, her neck went limp, and she couldn't held her head high up anylonger. Her eyes sprung open, she was wheezing heavily. The duo continuously increased the intesity of their attack, as the Padawan's energy decreased. The flames got closer and closer to her. More and more lightning strucked her with full power. _„So this is it?"_ Ahsoka asked herself _„Yes."_ she heard the accepting answer from somewhere very deep. _„NO!"_ a much stronger voice shouted at her. _„Whatever you do, never give up the hope. It's never over, until your life isn't over!" _

„_Well I'm very close to that point..."_ she replied, but stubbornly refused to let the barrier go. _„I'd rather die in distress, than getting burned alive."_ she thought.

Her energy dropped again. She was barely able to remain conscious, but still kept up protecting herself.

„I'm sorry, Master… Anakin." she said loudly. As the name left her mouth, she couldn't stop her memories from overrun her mind. _Master Plo finds her on Shiili, and takes her to the Jedi Temple... Lessons she participated on, where her exceptional skills were first noticed by her teachers… Grand Master Yoda tells her that, she's been assigned to be Anakin Skywalker's Padawan. Her first meeting with the legendary master-apprentice duo on Cristophsis. Skyguy accepts her as his Padwan… Their first mission to save Stinky… Master Skywalker agrees to open the Holocron for Bane, in order to save her._ As the pictures ran through her mind, she suddenly reaized why she had felt so abrupt around her Master lately. The answer was so simple, she had to laugh, despite the situation she was in. Altough the discovery put another stone on her heart, it also gave her something she could hang on. It steeled her will to live, to defeat this pair of sickos. Slowly she stood up. She could see the stunned expression on Hellrider's and „Ala"s faces, despite the wall of fire and electricity that ramped between them. And in this moment something very strange had happened: the sound of the flames and lightnings died in Ahsoka's ears. The heat, the pain, the driness in her eyes and mouth all disappeared. For a moment Ahsoka thought she vanished as well. She felt perfectly calm. She felt everything and everybody through out the entire Galaxy…no! She WAS everything and everybody, everywhere and everytime. Ahsoka, the Padawan didn't know what had happened. But Ahsoka, who became one with the Force knew.

* * *

Ledér-Hellrider, the evil Force-sorcerer who was born by unholy practics, by combining the soul of two separete beings into one, couldn't believe it's shared eyes. The Togruta Jedi Padawan stood up, and rose her head proudly, despite she was near to be consumed by the hungry flames. In the next second her entire body glowed up, with luminous light. The evil entity for the first time in it's ruthless life, felt the twinge of fear. Fear, which turned into terror, as the Force-lightning and Force-inferno it created, started to coalesce into a sparkling orb in front of the Togruta girl's hands. In the next second she lauched the concenteated energyball, back to it source. Ledér-Hellrider saw the incoming bullet, but couldn't do anything to avoid it. The energy burst trought it's human-male body. The body, which contained the soul, which supported the other one, with the weak connection to it's stolen body. It screamed as it's partial death tore it's other side out off it's vessel. With that scream, the evil conjoined souls lost their identity, and returned to the Force.

* * *

Ahsoka saw the energy bullet she created by will of the Force burst throught Hellrider's head, leaving Ala's body unscarred. She aimed for him for a very good reason. They were stupid enough to tell her about their weakness: if the man died, the witch would lose control over Ala's mind and body, and die with him as well. And Ala could live on like nothing had happened. Ahsoka had known this all along while she was trying to protect herself, but couldnt utilize it. Not until she became one with the Force. But in the second of Hellrider and his „lover"s death, the Force abandoned her. She fell to her knees as the great energy stream left her. Through the cloud and fog of exhaustion on her mind, she watched in terror as the energy ball hit the fuel-tank at the other end of the hangar…

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**I hope you liked it.**

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	5. Chapter 5

Anakin shrieked as the death of a powerful, but putrid soul (or souls?) sent waves across the Force. In the next second he was staggered by the shook that ran through the Negotiator, and he almost fell to the floor. At the same time the lights had gone off for a second, before the backup-system launched itself. _Huh, we're lucky, we weren't in the hyperspace."_ Anakin thought. As he tried to find his balance, he had to blink, as his Force-senses suddenly sharpened to their usual level. It was like when you're watching the world through a shroud of veil, and don't realise how much it worsen your sight, until you remove it. He automatically reached out through the Force, in order to gain understanding of the events. _„Something evil has just died…an explosion in the hangar…fortunately it didn't hit a leak on the hulk, but it broke the Main Energy-cabel…two people are in there…one is unconscious, but OK, the other is in pain, and getting weaker and weaker…and… she's…"_

„Ahsoka!" he cried out, and ran for it. He ran, like he had never run before. In his race, he activated his comlink:

„Bridge, this is General Skywalker, do you receive?"

„Yes, General, but we're a bit bus…"

„I don't care! Send a medical to the hangar instantly! My Padawan's been seriously injured. If that droid won't be there, when I arrive, I swore, you won't get a job on board a crusier ever again!"

„Understood, General!" Anakin turned his comlink off as he turned on a corner. He passed by a clone who ran on the other way, but stopped in the moment he noticed him:  
"General!..."

„Not now!

„But Sir, Commander Tano sent me to report to you immediately!" Anakin pulled the brake, and turned back to the soldier:

„What's it?"

„Sir," he started hesitantly „I was… I was guarding that prisoner…" he got stucked here. Anakin felt the clone's embarassment, and yelled at him

„Split it out already!"

„Sir, the prisoner and the Togruta girl have… disappeared. The Commander went after them." Anakin was nearly blinded by anger when he heard this. But his concern for Ahsoka was stronger, so he only sent a murderous glimpse to the clone and hissed:

„Damn, it! I hope you have a good explanation, or you won't get away with this. Go, report General Kenobi as well! We'll deal with you later!" he didn't even finish the sentence, when he was already running. _„I hope the turbolifts're working."_ he thought.

* * *

„How's she?" Anakin busted into the medical room. Since those crap lifts were down, because of the low energy, he had too take the longer way, through the sevice-routes. He was glad to see, that Ahsoka has already been transported here. _„It's a good thing they have their own generator here."_ he thought. The 2-1B meddroid turned to him while replying:

„She has suffered second and third degree burns on five percent of her body, and first degrees on another fifteen percent. Three of her ribs have been broken. She also received a wound on her right thigh, but I already fixed that. The problem is, she's bleeding internally, and she has already lost a critical amount of blood. Even if we operate her immediately, it wouldn't help much. She needs transfusion, but unfortunately neither we, neither the other crusisers of the fleet has blood of her blood-group in store."

„WHAT?" he yelled in utter disbelief „Why?"

„Since we usually have to treat clones, we only have syntetic-blood for them, and a few pacs in case one the officers would be injured."

„Then send a message to the nearest medical center, and order matching blood for her!"

„The nearest center is the one next to the Dantoonie. I'm afraid, it would take more time to deliver the blood, than how much she has."

„Could a Jedi-healer help her?" Anakin asked desperately, as he remembered, that Barriss was on his ship, only few parsecs away from the Negotiator. But Tuvanbi shook his head.

„No, unless she could fill her circulatory system with blood." Anakin felt devastated _„I've lost Mom, Padmé, I can't lose even her!"_ he had to fight his tears_ „It seems I bring only badluck to everyone."_ he decided:

„Check my blood-type." if the droid had been able to be surprised, it would've dropped it's iron-chin.

„Sir, are you…"

„Yes, I want to donate my blood." he answered, while taking down his armour and his tunic. 2-1B tried to prospect:

„Sir, the amount of blood she needs is way too high, to be taken from one person, esspecially at once. Even if I'd take only half the amount, you'd end up in a shape near to her's."

„I don't care! Make that freaking test already!" he shouted at the droid, holding his left hand to him. The droid pricked his arm with a needle, and checked his blood.

„The group is matching." he declared after a three seconds pause „But I have to warn you Sir, interspecies blood-transfusion, has a thirty percent chanse of causing severe, probably even fatal immune reaction in the receivers organism."

„Not, if the donated blood is rich enough in midi-chlorians. And you couldn't find a richer one in the whole universe than mine." the droid seemed to „hesitate".

„Are you…"

„JUST DO IT, ALREADY!" Anakin yelled at it. _„May the Force be with us!"_


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello there, and Merry Christmas!**

**Sorry for that, this update took so long, I was kinda busy failing on my tests :( Joking aside, these two chapters had been through several rewrites (at somepoint what ultimately become CH7, was meant to be Ch6, while this Ch6, was stored in the trash), but since I'm quite lazy, I simply overwrote the parts I didn't like, therfore it's possible I created some inconsistences -both grammatical and story wisely-, and didn't notice them. If you find any, please point them out!**

**I also feel like this chapter become extremely corny at one point (I'm sure you'll recognise which), but hey, only a working idea can become cliché, right? ;)**

**I hope you'll like it!**

* * *

„Why do I get the feeling, you're going to be the death of me?" Obi-Wan asked his former apprentice, on his well-known lecturing tone. They were waiting on the corridor, in front of the medical room. Anakin took a deep, rattling breath, before repling with a tired grin:

„Your's? In that case, I apologise Master. I had thought it was only myself I put in danger." Obi-Wan raised his eyebrows:

„Yeah, and if you died, who'd watch my back? In any case, you are in worse shape than I thought, if that's the best retort you have. Exactly how much blood did you give to Ahsoka?"

„I gave her just enough. It's because she followed my teachings, she ended up like this, so I had to do whatever it took to save her. And please, Obi-Wan if you really must lecture me again, postpone it. I'm in no mood to listen it right now."

„There's a new one. I had been under the impression, you are never in the mood to listen to me. But don't be so hard with yourself. Ahsoka always has been reckless. She didn't learn it entirely from you." he examined Anakin's face, and grimaced. The young Jedi was in worse condition, than he had been after their duel against Dooku. He was paler than a ghost, his eyes were slump, and he was shaking from head-to-toe. His Force-presence, which usually had been like a storm, which could erupt at any second, now barely was more than a tired breeze.

„_He donated way too much blood. There's no way hecould feel that guilty about what happened, esspecially since he warned Ahsoka to be more careful. Apparently, he's attachment towards her, is starting to cloud his judgement."_

Altought 2-1B tried to force him into taking a bacta-bath, he refused, and not even Obi-Wan could talk him into changing his mind.

„I'll be fine." he said „Ahsoka needs the treatment, not me. Besides, that thing is for wounds, isn't it?"

„Primarily it is, but it also helps the blood production."

„OK, then maybe I'll take it, but just after we are asured about that, Ahsoka will be allright." those were his last words, about cureing himself. A few minutes later Commander Cody arrived to report Obi-Wan, about the damage survey.

„Did anyone else got hurt, besides Tano Padawan?" Obi-Wan asked him.

„No Sir. Oddly enough, the hangar was almost empty at the time of the explosion. Besides the the Commander and the other Togruta, we've found only that prisoner there."

„He's dead, I assume."

„Yes Sir, however we've no idea, about how he get killed. Taking how his corpse looks like, I think he got shot on the head by a laser cannon."

„At least he won't cause any problems again. How's the girl?"

„She's unconscious, but all right. We took her to her qurters, and I sent my best troopers to guard her, until we know more."

„Very well. How much damage did the ship take?"

„The container in which we stored the fuel for the fighters and landing crafts was hit by an energy-bullet, and it exploded. That also presumes my theory about the prisoner's death. We were lucky, Sir. If that bullet hit the other container, the whole ship would have been destroyed. The main Energy Cabels broke, but a team is already on it. They should be able to fix them in an hour. The hyperdrive generator functions as nothing has happened. However, the hull was damaged quite badly. We aren't leaking, but it wouldn't bear a hyperspace-jump."

„What about the crafts in the hangar?" Cody hesitated:

„Most of the landing crafts and walkers were right next to the container. Only a couple of them can be repaired. Nearly each bombers received damage to some degree. The fighters, the Twilight and the captured ship had been docked further, so those were left unharmed. All at all, roughtly sixty percent of the crafts are in a usable shape."

„That's more than nothing, I guess. Is there anything else Cody?"

„The Jedi Council and the Chancellor asked you to report as soon as possible, General."

„Send them a message, tell them that I can't report them, until we know more about the events, and that most likely will be just after Padawan Tano regained her consciousness."

„Sir!" the commander salutated and left.

„We really were lucky this time." Anakin said. Obi-Wan turned back to him, and he's eyes were clouded by distress. If possible, Anakin was even paler than earlier, and his eyes betrayed his will to not show weakness. However, before Obi-Wan could express his concern, the door of the medical quarters slid open, and 2-1B came out. Anakin tried to jump up, but his former Master forsaw his movement, and pushed him back on the seat with the Force. The young Jedi seemed to be annyoed by this, but he didn't have neither the strenght, neither the mood to confront with Obi-Wan. Besides the Jedi Master was right- if he let Anakin to jump up, most likely he would have passed out.

„How's Ahsoka doing? the Obi-Wan asked the droid, before Anakin could.

„She'll make a full-recovery. Her ribs shall be weld in two to three weeks, her other injuries will be healed in a few days, with regular bacta-bathes." as he spoke, a remote controlled repulsor-chair floated out of the medical room „General Skywalker, it's your turn."

„I already told you, I'm fine." Anakin replied stubbornly, but this time the medidroid seemed to be unshakeable:

„Sir, despite my programming forbid it, I put your life in danger by taking nearly two liters blood from you, because you had insisted to give your Padawan as much as she needed. Most Human being wouldn't even survived losing this amount so suddenly, and don't think you're through the worst of it! The longer you postpone the treatment, the larger damage your vital organs will take by the lack of oxygen, and nutrients. It's a wonder you're still conscious! The only reason you're still able to talk back to me, is your mechanic arm, which doesn't suck the remainder of your blood! If both of your arms were organic, you'd almost be beyond recovery by now!"

„Am I really in that bad shape?" 2-1B nodded:

„Yes Sir, and with each second we waste with arguing, your state turns even worse! Please, let me threat you!" Anakin was shocked. He didn't expect that. He surrendered and sat down to the chair. As 2-1B took him through the medical quarters, they passed by a bacta-tank, in which Ashoka was floating, so Anakin finally got a glimpse on her extrenal injuries. Both of her arms, esspecially her hands, had been burnt quite badly, while her shoulders, lekku and face looked like she received a really bad sunburn. She had a scar across her right thigh, from her waist to innerside of her knee. There was also a small wound, just under her chest, where 2-1B slit her up to fix her internal injuries, and deplete the assembled blood from her abdominal.

„What medicines she got, besides the bath?" Anakin asked.

„Painkiller and sedative. She also got a minimal bacta-injection, just to make sure her internal wounds won't be tainted. In addition she got bota-essence, to start up blood producement. Now please, take your clothes off, and lie down on the table!"

„_At least she'll be Ok."_ Anakin thought as he followed 2-1B's order.

* * *

._ He was standing in the Senate's Grand Convocation Chamber, and watched as a hooded figure and Master Yoda were fighting to the death. With a fiendish laugh the hooded man freed several Senator Pods, and threw them towards Yoda, who jumped out of their way, then grabbed the last one through the Force, and sent it flying back to his opponent. The vision went black, then he found himself standing in a lookout -tower over a lava sea. He looked down and saw two tall men dueling on a small platform, surrounded by fire and molten lava. Then he found himself back in the Senate. But this time he saw him self fighting the same hooded figure. He looked down to the floor. Obi-Wan, Kit Fisto, Mace Windu and Saesee Tiin were laying there. It was clear that they were slained by lightsaber…_

_Just like the previous ones had followed eachother, this vision was replaced by another in the next second…"Padmé?" he asked in disbelieve. But something was wrong with her. She cried, and gasped and screamed like she'd been tortured, but there was something in her eyes, that just didn't seem to fit there: happiness._

„_Why is she so blissfull if she's suffering?" Anakin asked himself, and his questiton was answered right away as after a great scream from the young woman, the cries of a baby overtoned her heavy breathing. A black leadergloved arm held the newborn who was wrapped up in a towel next to the mother's face._

„_A boy. Padme our son." Anakin was struck by hearing his own voice. Padme smiled at the baby, and whispered:_

„_Luke…" then the image darkened for a second, before returning. Padme was screaming again, but this time, the happy light in her eyes was replaced by infinite sadness. Once again a baby cried up, and another, but still very well-known male voice stated:_

„_It's a girl." felicity barely run through Padme's face as she named her daughter:_

„_Leia…" she was barely breathing, and Anakin realised in horror, that she was near her end. The man who was with him tried to encourage her:_

„_Don't give up Padme, you must fight!"_

„_I…can't. … Obi-Wan!…There's still good in him. I know…there's still good…" the vision disappeared, but unlike previously, the next one didn't follow it right away._

„_Oh not again." Anakin thought when he found himself in an Assault Transport with his youngerself, Obi-Wan and Padmé, flying over a rusty colored desert. Anakin wanted to awake. He really wanted. But just like countless other times, he couldn't. He couldn't, because despite he knew, what would happen next, he was unable to turn away from Her face, which he could see thousand times clearer in this vison, than in his elusive memories. The ship was struck, they lost their balance, and to Anakin's horror –or relife?- Padmé and a clone fell off. He saw Padme landing on the top of a dune, then roll down on it's side, knocked unconscious._

„_PADMÉ!" the younger Anakin cried out in despair „Put the ship down!" he ordered the pilot, but Obi-Wan instantly stopped him:_

„_Anakin, don't let your personal feelings get in the way!" then he invalidated Anakin's order: "Follow that speeder!" but Anakin didn't give up:  
"Put down the SHIP!" he shouted. Obi-Wan couldn't believe his ears. He tried to set his apprentice right once more:_

"_I can't take Dooku alone! I need you. If we can catch him, we could end this war right now!" he must have seen that it didn't work so he yelled at him annoyedly: „We have a job to do!"_

„_Well I don't care! Put the ship down!"_

„_You will be expelled from the Jedi Order!"_

„_I can't leave her!" Obi-Wan reached the last drops of his patience, as he replied:  
"COME TO YOUR SENCES! What do you think, what Padme would do, if she was in your position?" but before the elder Anakin could see the answer he had given in this alternate past, the vision disappeared._

_Anakin openned his eyes. He found himself on a familiar field, surrounded by shaaks._

„_Okay, now this one is new." he said as he looked around. „Definitely looks like a corny description of a dream," He sniffed the fresh air, and felt the breeze on his face. „but doesn't feel like a dream at all."_

„_Maybe it's not." a soft female voice replied. Anakin turned around and found himself face-to-face with Padme. But something was different with her. She was surrounded by a blue aura, and obscurly though, but Anakin could see the waterfalls behind her, through her face._

„_Padme?" he whispered „Are you a ghost?" the girl looked at him with the same inward sadness, which Anakin had seen in her eyes behind the cloud of physical pain in the second verion of his vision about her giving birth to their child. Sorrow, which was not caused by her own death- but by someone's she had loved._

„_Why? Aren't you too?" she asked back. Anakin frowned. What could she meant? He wasn't dead, was he? Padme stepped closer to him, and placed her hand on his cheek. Anakin shiwered, for her hand felt warmer than in her life. It was as if her very love towards him flow through into him in that very touch. She smiled sadly_

„_You're a shadow of who you could be, and it won't change, until you hang on the pain of our departure. You're a good man, Ani. Let go of the past's pain, before it could ruin your future."_

„_I can't live without you." Anakin whispered._

„_You don't have to. Just because I can't be with you physically, it doesn't mean I've disappeared for good."_

„_What do you mean?"_

„_What do you think, what would Qui-Gon say?" this caught Anakin by surprise_

„_Live for the moment. But I'm not Qui-Gon Jinn, and his wisdom is secret before me, and it will remain for years, if not forever."_

„_Ani, you're wiser than you'd think. But you're also blinded by your fear of loss. Let go off your fear, don't grab onto your past, on…me. If you can't turn away from the past, you won't be able to see what the present offers you. Don't blame and punish yourself for what had already happened, you can't change it anyway. Even if you tried, it would only crush you. Live in the present, feel, so you can have a future."_

„_Are you saying I should forget about you? And about my mother? And what I have done after her, and would've after your death?"_

„_If it's the only way you can step forward, Yes." she was still holding his cheeks. By this point Anakin didn't try to cover his tears. Padme's angelic eyes were clouded too. „But leave oblivion as a final option. Letting go off the past is one thing, obliterate it, is another. You need to remember and learn from your past, but you must let it be past, nothing more." she looked deep into his eyes, and kissed him._

* * *

In this moment a weak electric shock run trough Anakin's body, as the bacta treatment ended, waking him up. It annoyed him horribly. _„Why couldn't it wait one more minute?"_ he thought as he was lifted out of the bacta tank. _„Man, what a dream!"_ then he started to think. „_In fact it was either the most chessy dream I ever heard about, or it wasn't a dream at all. Could it have been a vision? No, it's impossible. As much as I hate it, Padme is…"_ it was at that insant when he realised what tortured him the most. Not the fact. But that he was unable to accept it as a fact. Whether it really was her „ghost", or just the Force tried to lead him back the trail he lost on that fateful day on Geonosis, didn't matter anymore, as he slowly understood, why didn't the Jedi mourn the dead. „_Padme…Padme is dead. But…but that means she's now one with Force, right? So if the Force is with me, than… so is she!"_ he closed his eyes as he put his clothes on, and smiled sadly. _„How stupid I am. She was with me all along. So were Mom and Qui-gon."_ but then the smile was burnt away by a sudden eruption of pain and disgust. _„No! Even if they're one with the Force, they're gone forever! I'll never be able to find them, because if they're one with the Force, there's no difference between them, and anyoneelse- including their murderers! No, I can't believe that!_" The bare thought made him shake with anger, however before he got too carried away, he reminded himself. _„Cool down! Padme asked me not to grab on her, and she's right. I must accept those things I can't change, as they're!"_ A determinded light glow up in his eyes, as he left the medical bay_ „At least until I learn how to change them! After all, if I really am the Chosen One, I should be able to do it. And one day I will be!"_

„You're having dark thoughts Anakin. Way too dark, to be acceptable from a Jedi." Obi-Wan „greeted" him at the other side of the door. He's eyes were clouded by anger. Anakin sent the same look to him, before asking:

„Why are you probing my mind, _Master_?"

„I am not probing you at all. I was barely meditating, and trying to figure out what has happened in the hangar. But your sinister thoughts were so powerful, they forced their way into my head. I didn't understand all of them, but I felt the influence of the Dark Side on each one of them."

„Oh great. You're gonna scold me again, right?"

„Scold you? No, you're over that level, when I had the right to do so, not to mention, that never really worked on you anyway. No, I barely want to warn you: don't go against the way of the Force! That would be the sheerest road to the depths of the Dark Side."

„Thanks for the advise, Obi-Wan, but how would you know if it's true?" Obi-Wan was thunder-strucked.

„You don't know anything about the Dark Side, that you learnt from the first hand, nor do you know anything about what would cause defying with the will of the Force! You simply accpeted what you were taught!"

„Because the dangers are far greater than the possible benefits- if there are any at all!"

„That's a coward's way!"

„Maybe, but I'd rather choose that, than your suggestion: the way of the fools! You should be ashamed of yourself! Your Padawan was just nearly killed by those who followed the same trail, you're considering to go down!" this was like a slap across the face for Anakin. _„His right!"_ shiver ran through his spine at the thought as he remembered the duels he wittnessed in his vison. Esspecially the one over the lava sea. He had a fairly strong bet on who the two fighters were. And he felt extremely ashamed, for forgetting about Ahsoka. His thoughts must have been written on his face, because Obi-Wan's expression softened a bit. Then he nodded inwards the medical bay and said:

„Anyway Anakin, I thinks she's awake."

* * *

**A.N.: The Padmé Anakin saw in his "dream" was NOT a Force ghost. It was more likely the impression Anakin's feelings for her left on his subconscious. But if you like the Force ghost version more, you can say that she was one. I leave that up to you.**

**Please review!**


	7. Chapter 7

„_Oh man, what's happened? Why do I feel so sick? Where am I?"_ She felt increadibly light-headed, and every inch of her body ached. Ahsoka slowly openned her eyes. The first thing she saw were her arms, laying on her chest in front her. But something was wrong with them…_"Wait, wy are my arms white?"_ as she blinked, and managed to focus her sight, she realised, they were wrapped up in medical bondages. _„Okay, this can only mean that I got injured, and I'm in a sick bay. That at least explains why do I feel so washed-up. But what has exactly happened?"_ As she was thinking, whispers of two men hit her ears. She didn't hear what were they talking about, but based on their annoyed tones she could tell they were arguing.

She tried to force herself up into a sitting position, but a sharp sting of pain in her chest made her change her mind.

„Anakin, I think she's awake." a familiar, masculine voice said loudly. _„Is that Master Kenobi?"_ As she tried to focus onto the two blurry masses, that were standing infront of the door, one of them quickly ran up to her, and step-by-step took the form of her master.

„Hey Snips, how're you?" he asked, with deep concern in his voice.

„Not as bad, as you look like, Master." she replied when she finally could recognise Anakin's features. His face was paler than her bondages, his eyes were sunk and surrounded by black rings. His movements betrayed how weak he felt himself. Ahsoka never saw him so…tired? Broken? „Are you all right?" she asked.

„Me? Why wouldn't I be? You should see yourself, then you wouldn't say I look bad." he answered with a grin, that was only a shadow of the well-known smile, he used to send her as a compliment. In addition, she had a feeling he was trying to cover something from her.

„Welcome back, Ahsoka." Obi-Wan said as he stepped to her bed. „You sure gave us a scare."

„Why, what did I do?"

„Oh, just what your Master has taught you to do: like trying to track down and catch two dangerous fellows by yourself." Anakin sent him a hurt grimace upon hearing this. _„What was that expression on his face? Was that…guilt?" _Ahsoka wondered, but since her Master didn't mention it, she asked instead:

„Dangerous fellows?"

„Don't you remeber?"

„My memories are blurry. Wait…yeah, I remember now. That guy, Helllrider, and his witch girl-friend who stole Ala's body."

„WHAT?" Ahsoka shrieked from the shout of the two Jedi.

„I thougth you had watched the security holograms." she replied confusedly.

„Well, we've tried, but the cameras made only a few seconds of blurry records before they went completely wrong. They didn't record a single noise." Anakin said.

„Oh yeah, now that you mention it, that witch said she was able to hide themselves with the Force, so she must have done something to the cameras too."

„Do you feel strong enough to tell us what has happened?" Obi-Wan asked

„I'll try." she winced, and told them the story. She could clearly see the indignation and anger in Anakin's eyes when she described how she had been „backstabed", as well as the disgust on both Master's faces, when she told them about the body-thievery.

„After they finished their story, they attacked me. That witch used the Force to summon flames –I've never even heard about something like this-, while Hellrider stayed with the 'usual' Force-lightning... I was lucky, I guess. If you had arrived just seconds later, I would have became a crisp." Anakin and Obi-Wan looked at each other bewilderedly, which took Ahsoka by surprise:

„Did I say something?"

„Why do you think, we've saved you?" Anakin asked with an uncomprehend expression.

„Why, did you not?" Obi-Wan replied her this time:

„We were alarmed just by an explosion in the hangar." he said, and Ahsoka could hear the awkwardness in his voice „We've found you just after that, with that uncoscious girl, and Hellrider's corpse." Ahsoka felt like the Negotiator suddenly had started into an avoiding manouver.

„Do you mean, I… beat them?"

„Well yes, unless you have a better explanation to why you're the one alive, and not Hellrider."

„Isn't it possible, that the explosion killed him?"

„No, I don't think so. The droid who examined the body said, he was most likely shot on the head by a lasercannon, but we didn't find anyoneelse there, just the three of you. Then who could've shot him? What are your last memories?" Ahsoka wrinkled her eyebrows. She was thinking furiously: _„I think there was something I had just realised, before I lost my consciousness. What was it?…Oh ye…oh noo!"_ as the memory of the recognition struck her, she felt blood rush in her cheeks, and she was glad that her orange skin hide her blush.

„I-I don't know." she lied. To hide her nervousness, she grasped her head, not caring with the pain the movement caused in her arms, and tried to remember anythingelse afterwards, but to no avail. Anakin gently grasped her right wrist and pulled her arm down.

„Hey, take it easy! You'll remember, but not if you force it. Relax!" Ahsoka looked in his eyes, and she suddely felt like the cool air of the bay turned hotter than the fire, that she had just described. She quickly turned her eyes away from his, and cautiously moved her hand, signing her Master to release her. This seemed to surprise him, but let go off her regardless. To break the awkward moment of silence, Ahsoka continued:

„At least we don't have to worry about neither Hellrider nor his 'lover'. If she really needed his help to survive in Ala's body, then she should be dead too, right? That also means we can trust Ala from now on."

„Well, I wouldn't count on that. Even if this 'witch' who possesed her, really is dead –if she existed at all at the first place- we can't be sure how much effect her presence had on Ala's soul and personality." said Obi-Wan.

„I told you Master, I felt that witch! She was totally different in the Force, than the girl I had spoken with!"

„Allright, I trust your judgement. But being cautious can't hurt, don't you agree?" Ahsoka looked down on her arms. She understood very well the edge in Obi-Wan's voice. If she didn't trust 'Ala' so blindly, she wouldn't had fallen into their trap.

„You're right, Master Obi-Wan." she replied „How long was I unconscious?"

„Twelve hours." Anakin said. This surprised Ahsoka. With all the medicines they had, she thought she had been out for two-three hours at the most. Obi-Wan continued:

„We'll tell the medical droid you've awoken. Try to relax. Anakin, I think you should have a sleep as well. Remeber, 2-1B ordered you to rest, until your organs can compansate the blood amount you donat…"

„OBI-WAN!" Anakin yelled at him angrily, but it was too late.

„What?" Ahsoka couldn't believe what she tought she had just heard. „Master…you…you donated blood to me?" Anakin sent an angry glimpse to his mentor, and nodded.

„Thank you." she whispered. Anakin gave her an encouraging, but tired smile while replying:

„You had internal bleeding, and you needed blood. It was the least I could do. Now have a rest. I'll do that too." As he turned around to leave, Ahsoka couldn't help but notice, how vulnerable he seemed to be –at least compared to himself. _„Did he gave me more blood, than safe? And why did he try to keep it secret from me?"_ she wondered, as the two Jedi walked out of the sick-bay. As she watched them, she suddenly felt an urge to tell Anakin about her…_"Feelings?"_

„Master!" she called out as loudly as her sore throat could do, before the door could close behind them. Anakin turned back to her.

„Yes, Ahsoka?" he asked kindly. Ahsoka wished she had shut her mouth up._ „What was I thniking? If I tell him, it will ruin everything…We wouldn't be able to get along ever again. It's even forbidden by the Code. He wouldn't have other choise, than handing over my training to another Master."_ all of these ran through her mind in a moment.

„I…I'd like to know how's Ala doing!" she said with a sudden idea, trying to cut herself out of the situation. Anakin raised an eyebrow:

„We locked her up in her quarters. We didn't know how was she involved, so we decided to be cautious with her." Ahsoka was a bit frightened, and quickly continued:

„Please tell me, you didn't hurt her! She's innocent. She was a victim of Hellrider and..." she paused becasue her side started to hurt, and she needed to cough. Before she could continue, Anakin interroupted:

„Hey, hey slow down, you shall rest for now. Don't worry, she's allright. A medidroid examined her, and it said she was sleeping very deeply. But I believe you wanted to say something else, didn't you?" Ahsoka blushed, and once again she was grateful for her togrutan skin colour. _„Oooh, what should I say now? I really can't tell him…__**that**__. Esspecially not after all what I said to him last time." _ as she recalled their 'argument', she finally found the way out. _„I should do it anyway, and at least I don't have to lie to him. I just hope he'll belive that's really all."_

„I…just… wanted to apologise." she said nervously. The pain in her hands made her realise that, she'd grasped her blanket, and quickly released it, before her Master could possibly have a chance to see it.

Anakin seememed to be surprised:

„For what?" he asked.

„For how I had spoken with you. I'm sorry Master."

* * *

When Anakin heard Ahsoka's apology, he went back to her, and carefully put his hands on her bound shoulders, and looked in her eyes:

„Ahsoka, there's no need for you to feel bad about that. I can't even count how many times had I said worse things than that to Obi-Wan, when I was at your age." at this point he laughed himself weakly „Who am I kidding? I stopped being hubristic with him, just after the war had begun, not long before we've met." he said, trying to ease the girl's nervousness, but Ahsoka didn't even smiled. In fact, she seemed to feel more uncomfortable than before. _„What's got into her? Why is she trying to avoid eyecontact with me? Is she really that ashamed of herself, for that argument we had?"_ as a last effort he added: „You know what, Snips? I promise I'll forget it, but only if you promise to do the same. Deal?" this finally made the trick, and Ahsoka laughed herself.

„Ok Skyguy, deal." As she finished, the door slid open and 2-1B came in to examine Ahsoka.

„I have to go now. I'll come back later. Have a rest, Ok?"

„Yeah, sure." Ahsoka nodded. She was smiling. Ankakin left the bay, and headed to his own quarters. Altough he felt worse, than after Boba Fett detonated the bridge of the Endurance on the top of him and Windu, he smiled too. He felt extremely relieved. _„At least Ahsoka's okay. I don't know what would I've done if she had died -because my fault."

* * *

_

Obi-Wan entered the Operations Room, and activated the holo-table. Instead of the life-sized hologram of the three-four other Masters he usually consulted with, the miniaturized image of the whole High Council in the Council Chamber appeared infront of him. It seemed he was the last one to arrive.

„With all of us may the Force be, and may the peace of this temple be ours, a place open to thought and speech, a realm of mutual respect, and a haven of shared noble purpose. Let us take these seats together, with no one above the others. May we work together, free from the restraints of ego and jealousy, at this gathering and all others to come." he spoke the mantra with the others, and sat down with them afterwards.

„Troubled you seem to be, Master Kenobi." Yoda greeted him. „Young Ahsoka Tano, how is she?"

„She'll make a full recovery. She's regained her consciousness an hour ago, and gave us some important news about the deceased Hellrider. And we found out a few other things as well. First of all, we were finally able to connact our computers, with the one on the captured ship." he pushed a button, and above the holographic-map of the Galaxy appered Council. „It appears Hellrider has visited several Crime Lords of the Outer Rim, including the Hutt Council, many well-known pirate wordls, Cartao, the Kessel and other spice mining colonies, all over the last five months. But those are not surprising I guess." as he spoke many planets lit up with red light. „What's more concerning, is that he also visited Kamino. Apparently he made an order to them, or at least tried to do so."

„Why didn't the Kaminoians reported this to us?" Windu asked.

„Cloning is a business for them, and the Republic is just one of their customers. They don't feel like they should bother with informing us about every order they receive." Shaak Ti said. Her tone left little doupt about that she didn't agree with this mentality any much, than the other Council members, but she accepted it, as it wasn't like she could do anything against it.

„Shall we report this to the Chancellor?" questioned Kit Fisto.

„No, not yet, at least." Shaak Ti replied „Let me talk with Lama Su first. Maybe he'll reveal whether they made a contract with Hellrider or not, from his free will. We should warn Palpatine just if they did, or if the Prime Minister isn't willing to answer. This is primarily a Jedi business, until it doesn't threaten the Republic directly. I'm more concerned about how did he pass by the blockade surrounding Kamino without being noticed."

„We don't know. His ship must have some sort of advanced cloaking device installed on it, but we couldn't find it yet." Obi-Wan replied „However, we've found out more about his past, thanks to Ahsoka, who discovered his escape attemp, and stopped him, and his 'girl-friend' so to speak." Obi-Wan could feel the tension as clearly as he was in the Council Chamber personally, not just through the Holo-net, as he repeated the story Ahsoka told him. Stunned silence followed his report. Apparently, not even such seasoned members like Oppo Rancis or Mace could believe that someone, could cheat death on such a level, or merge his soul with someone else's, and they were esspecially thrown off-guard by the fact a sixteen-year old Padawan had been able to defeat such opponents. Yoda and Plo Koon on the other hand didn't seemed to be surprised, albeit Obi-Wan saw something on the latter, that made him worry a bit. The Keldor clearly felt uncomfortable. Ultimately the old Grand Master broke the silence:

„Master Plo, to tell this Council, what you had told me, after your mission on Shili, the time has come."

„Indeed Master Yoda, if it's not too late already." he rubbed his mask absently „Before I start, let me apologise for keeping this in secret from you my friends. It was essential that as few gain knowledge about what happened that day as possible."

„Those of you, who were Members of this Council at that time, might remember the disappearance of the newly knighted rouge Sul Caas in the Outer Rim, and that I took it upon myself to find her." he continued „It wasn't easy to follow her trail, because by the time I started my search after her, she had been missing for over half a year, and I was worried, I was too late. I was desperate for any clues, but each times I've found one they only fed my worries, which turned into panic, when I realised the place she headed for: Korriban, the homeworld of the Sith."

* * *

**I hope you were entertained. In case I won't do any updates this year, have a Happy New Year!**

**Please review!**

**Constructive critiques are extremely welcomed!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello there!**

**First of all: don't get confused, the secrets of Ahsoka's power, along with Hellrider's past will be revealed, but only next time. Honestly I found my character portroyal a bit shallow so far, so I decided to try and built them up a little better-and at the same time bring up to speed the Anisoka line. This is chapter is also to lighten the story up a bit, before we enter the realm of nightmares that approches on lightspeed...Muhahaha! ;P **

**Just to clearify the SW calendar for not hardcore fans: in the Galaxy a standard week is composed of five days, instead of seven. Just to avoid turmoil around the time that passed since the last chapter.**

**I hope you'll like it.**

**PLEASE GIVE ME CONSTRUCTIVE CRITIQUES!**

* * *

„No, this isn't it either. Even my old top wasn't this provocative. Plus, I doupt, I could stand wearing something so closed." Ahsoka murmured, and put the very form-fitting, black, leather shirt back between the others. They were in a store, in the mart nearest to the Temple. The dress Ahsoka just dismissed was about the hundredth one. Barriss and Ala watched her with confusion.

The Council put the freshly knighted Mirilian in charge of Ahsoka, until she recovered from her injuries, and she was also ordered to keep an eye on Ala. The latter wasn't much of a problem, however Barriss wasn't at all sure about, whether Ahsoka still needed to be under „medical observation" or not.

„_It's just amazing…A week ago, she broke three ribs, got her intestines ruptured, and lost critical amounts of blood…and here she's, like nothing have happened…When I first saw how badly her hands had been burned, I was almost sure, she won't be able to hold a lightsaber hilt with them ever again…yet not even a tiny scar remained…She completely recovered from near fatal wounds in three days, and she already demanded to be releashed from the hospital yesterday. How is this even possible?"_ however she kept her worries for herself for now.

„Ohm, Ahsoka, what's this sudden enquiry in fashion?" she asked instead.

„What?" Ahsoka looked back over her shoulder. „Fashion?"

„Do you want to catch **someone's** attention, Ahsoka?" Ala added teasingly. She was satissfied and ascertained by the freaked-out look on her kin's face. The next moment Ahsoka, really heavily, and with suspicious vehemency replied:

„What are you talking about? If you didn't notice my old clothes has been totally ruined. Besides," she blushed a bit, fighting a nervous smile, and turned her voice down „that top already started to be too tight anyways."

„Uhm-am, Okay." was all Barriss could say to this. There was a moment of uneasy silence. Then they laughed nervously.

„Why does talking about things like this, feels so awkward for you?" Ala asked, giggling at the discomfort of the other two. „I overheard those other girls just a minute ago. They weren't timid about talking about their breastsize at all- not to mention a whole bunch of juicy stuff!"

„You eavesdropped?" Barriss asked indignantly.

„Hey, it's not my fault, that I have a better than ordinary hearing! So why won't you talk about things like your body?"

„I don't know. Maybe, it comes with the monastic nature of the Order. We must not form attachments, instead we have to strengthen our connection to the Force, so it's better not to talk about bodily…sexual and emotional themes…anything that might drift us towards getting involved with someone." then she coughed, probably to hide her nerve, and dropped the theme:

„Back to you, Ahsoka. I understand that you need new dresses, but I don't get it, why would you want to buy new clothes in such an expensive store, when it would be much cheaper and easier to order a robe like that borrowed one you're wearing now, at the Temple?"

„Are you kidding me?" Ahsoka laughed „I can't even imagine how is Master Ti able to wear one of these all the time. I couldn't stand the uniform, even while I was an Intiate. The more closed a dress is, the more I feel like it's strangling me. _Besides, altough there's no way I'd admit it to them, I certainly don't have a chance in catching his eyes in these robes...Don't even think about this! If that's the reason you came here to buy clothes, then head back to the Temple right now!_"

„Really? That's interesting." Barris was surprised „That's a strange obsession."

„Huh? What is my obsession?" Ahsoka asked scaredly. Ala was squeaking from the strangled snickerring:

„Hellooo? We were just talking about why wouldn't you wear a Jedi Robe!"

„Oh yeah! Well maybe it is just an obsession, but…"

„Actually," Ala interrupted with a serious tone this time „it's quite common between Togruta. I know I'd hate to wear a dress like yours Barriss… No offence,of course!" she added quickly when she realised how ambiguous her statement was. „It's really nice, but you see, we have a strong connection to the land, and to the nature. The more dead substance divide us from them, the more isolated and locked up we feel. You can call it a strange, endemic autophobia mixed with claustrophobia. But I didn't think, that you too suffer from it, Ahsoka."

„Huh? Why is that?" Ala pointed at her feet.

„'Cause you're wearing boots, something most Togruta hate even more than, having too much clothing. After all we connect with the land, through out feet." Ahsoka gave a chuckle.

„Believe me, I don't really like wearing shoes either. But we're dozens, if not hundreds of miles above the surface, and Coruscant, under the Galactic City, is a near dead planet. It doesn't really matter if I wear something on my feet here, or not. On the other hand, as a Padawan I travel much around the Galaxy, and it would be impractical not to wear boots, on a Star Cruiser, or if we have to move across mountain terrain and so on. I guess I just got used to it." she said, while continued sorting between the thousands of clothes. A few minutes later:

„Ahha, now that's what I'm talking about!"

* * *

Master Yoda didn't open his eyes immediately, when with a silent humming noise the door of the Meditation Chamber slid open. He knew who entered the room.

„A lot of tension, I feel in you, Skywalker." the ancient Grand Master slowly looked up to the face of the young Knight. Anakin sat down to a hassock, facing Yoda. Altough the old Master had seen him upset quite some times, the look in his eyes, surprised him greatly. The face he showed, reflected determination and infinite energeticness, but someone as experienced as Yoda could easily see straight through it. Behind the mask, Skywalker was exhausted, unsure and very close to crackup. „With your Padawan, have you spoken?" Yoda asked. It's been five days since that incident aboard the Negotiator, and Ahsoka shocked everyone with fully recovering from her injuries in the three days while they were trasported back to Corruscant on an Acclamator. Master Kenobi had to use his prestige as a Council member, to order her to rest for the previous day at least.

„No. She's troubled enough already. She tries to hide it, but I can see it on her. I've spoken with Master Plo, and we agreed on that, it would be better if he told Ahsoka the whole story…after she calmed down a bit. I'm not here because of her. Master, I need your advice."

„Advice? Hmm…" Yoda closed his eyes, and rubbed his chin. „Rare it is, for you, to seek council."

„I know, Master, but apparently I can't solve this problem on my own. Lately, I have visions. That's why I need your help, Master Yoda. You know the most about premonitions."

„Listening I am." Anakin scratched the back of his head and grimaced, before continueing:

„Some of them are like fairy tales, while most are real nightmares. But the worst is that they're all contradicting eachother."

„Hmm, about the future, or the past, these visions are?"

„That's exactly the most confusing part. Some of them shows me people who are already dead, alive in my future. Others show these people die, later and differently, than they did."

„Mean a lot to you, those people did?" Anakin hesitated, then nodded.

„Yes."

„Hrmmmm…Always in motion, the future is. Many possible paths there are. Depend on our choises and actions, which will be realised, does. The visions you have, about these possibilities, they are."

„But there's no way they could become true, with their subjects already dead! Then why, why are they torturing me, with already enclosed alternatives?"

„Because refuse to accept the unchangeable, you do. Disappear these visions will not, until accept the involved people's deaths you can not. This is why, get involved with others, a Jedi must not. Cloud your judgement, attachments do. Learn to let go off them, you have to."

* * *

„Ahhh, now this is definiately better." Ahsoka said after she put on her new clothes. She couldn't wait to get rid of the heavy robes, she borrowed from the Temple's wardrobe. From the store she rushed back to the Temple immediately, not waiting for Ala and Barriss. Once she got back to her quarters -she didn't want to hear about returning to the hospital annexxe- her first thing to do was to shake them off, and try the new outfit. She watched herself in the small bathroom mirror, and she had to admit she liked what she saw. _„I'm looking nice in this. In my old clothes, I started to look like a call-girl. It's a bit strange tho'. Since my top was tight and soft enough, I didn't wear a bra in a long time. Not like I needed it, until recently…Come to think of it, this is the first time I wear a real bra!... I wonder if he'll like this new dress...Ohm...?WHAT THE HELL IS WITH ME? Why am I suddenly so interested in my looks? And particularly why do I even care if he likes it? Just forget it, OK? Don't even think about Master Skywalker like that!…Skyguy…Anakin… Skywalker…How about… _Ahsoka Tano-Skywalker?" as soon as she said the three words out loudly, she realised what she had been fantasizing about and sweatdropped. Then she knocked herself on the head, just at the base of her montrals three times in quick-motion. The hits caused unpleasant resonances in her hollow horns, from which she yelped and grabbed them at their outersides carefully. It made the trick however, as she was finally able to pull herself together a little bit. Once the echos elapsed, she leant on to the basin with her streched arms and looked into the eyes of her reflection in the mirror:

„Ok, I must admit, I've a crush on him, but that isn't that bad, right? I mean, I'm surely not the only Padawan learner who went through this… I'll just have to endure it, until I get over it." She slapped some cold water in her face, wiped the remaining drops down, and left her quarters.

* * *

„Obi-wan!" Anakin called out to his friend, who was –as usual- observing the corruscanti twilight from a corridor window. The Jedi turned back and welcomed the younger with a troubled grin.

„Anakin. Have you spoken with your Padawan?"

„You too?" Anakin garled back annoyedly. Obi-wan raised his eyebrow questiongly:

„Well, no, I haven't. She is, after all, your student." Anakin moaned upon hearing this. Obi-Wan's sense of humor –or rather the lack of it- never ceased to tire him.

„That's not what I meant, as you know it very well... Ah forget it."

„So have you speak with her?"

„No, I haven't. We agreed with Master Plo on that he should be the one to tell her. Besides, I think something's troubling her. No, not the Hellrider-case. Since she's been attacked, she's avoiding eye-contact with me. She's acting weird. It feels like she's closing herself in front of me."

„Did you say something, that could've hurt her?"

„No."

„Then maybe she's just a bit confused. Knowing what she's really capable of, I could understand that. She did something, that probably only Mace and Yoda would be able repeat. And it came out of nowhere."

„Yeah, I guess." Obi-wan gave him a worried look:

„You are not looking well. Still the visions?" Anakin reluctantly nodded.

„Master, may I ask you something personal?" he asked suddenly

„Off course."

„How did you get over Qui-Gon's death? How could you… step forward?" Obi-wan looked surprised.

„Why are you ask…Ah_, I think I understand. Senator Amidala's death must be still haunting him."_ Obi-wan never saw his ex-apprentice this… sad, but determined at the same time. He put his right on Anakin's left shoulder: „I found a goal." and gently squeezed it. Anakin closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

„Thank you, Master." for a few minutes nothing has happened. Then they heard steps closing in.

* * *

Anakin turned back, and he felt like he was struck by lightning. A beautiful Togruta woman was coming towards them. His shock was mixed with utter confusion, when she got a few steps closer, and he recognised her, as Ahsoka. She was wearing a brown mini-skirt, a grey trouser similar to her old one, brown, half-fingerless leather gloves, and a solid, but at the same time really sexy, form-fitting brown shirt, with a magnetic cleavage, which not just gave a glimpse of her developing chest, but somehow also high-lighted what Anakin didn't notice yet: the growth of her lekku and montrals, along with that, her face lost most of it's child-like roundness, and became much more feminine. Anakin couldn't pull himself together. Somehow he couldn't believe that, this smoking hot woman, was indeed his young Padawan. It was confusing even just thinking about her like that.

„Hello, Ahsoka!" Obi-wan greeted her, but she didn't have the chance to reply.

„You are wonderful."

Anakin heard his own voice, he felt his mouth moving, but didn't realise that he actually said the words out loudly. Not until he noticed Ahsoka's and Obi-Wan's expressions. The latter was just switching at that moment from dumpfounded to angered. The former had a mixture of shock, fright, confusion and…_joy? _written on it. But before Anakin could say another word, she spun around and run away where she came from.

* * *

„What the hell were you thinking!" Obi-Wan tried his best not to yell at him. Anakin was just as stunned as him.

„I-I don't know. It just slip out of my mouth.

"No wonder she feels uncomfortable around you, if you make a move on her!" the accusation snapped Anakin out of his bewilderment.

* * *

Ahsoka was running faster than ever. Back to her quarters. Her heart was racing with the clop of her sweeping steps, and it beat circles around them four times, when she finally fall into her quarters. She leant to the closed door by her back. She eould have screamed, if she weren't gasping so heavily. Her knees were trembling.

She didn't know how long she's been standing there. Was it just a few minutes, or an enternity? All she knew sometime some knocked at the other side of the door.

„Ahsoka, it's me." it's His voice! „Please let me in!" she stepped aside, and deactivated the lock. As soon as the door slid open Anakin stormed in. He looked at her, and whispered:

„I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you." _„What is he talking about?"_

„I-I-I can't figure out what got into me, to…" _„Is he trying to apology?"_

„I think it' just that I never realised it yet, that you're not just a Padawan, but also a woman, and it struck me…" _„Did he just say I'm a woman?"_ Ahsoka had no idea where she found the courage…She didn't even know when it happened. And frankly, she couldn't care any less about it. All she knew, when she finally came to her sences, was that, her lips were pressed tightly against his.

* * *

**REVIEW PLEASE!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello there, again!**

**It seems the fantastic stories we got from the TCW team in the past month, have hyped me up quite a bit. I can't even recall when had I work on a story this hard for the last time! :DDD**

**This chapter is still a little bit for resting, but I promise, soon Secrets Will Be Revealed in my tiny Alternate Reality too! XD**

**I must admit, the ideas that I'll work out in the next few chapters were greatly influenced by rewatching some cartoons, I haven't met in quite sometime-I won't tell which ones, after all that would spoil all my plans! Unfortunately since these plot bunnies bring big changes in the overall picture of the story, I don't really know if it will work out well.**

**SO PLEASE EVERYONE! **

**G****ive me some concretes, about what do you like/don't like about the story, what should I work on etc. in a min 20-40 words review. In exchange, I promise I'll do my best to write one review of equal length and value to one story of your chosie. **

**Ahsoka320: Well, if I didn't stop there, what quarantee would had left for me, that you guys and girls'd come back? ;) **

**AldamonBurst: Don't overdo it just yet, it's most likely that this story will be much more "juicy" as it progresses. I didn't gave it "T" this time, just to be on the safe side! ;Đ**

**I hope you'll enjoy, and esspecially hope for some useful help.**

* * *

_Flashback_

_Anakin felt totally humilated. Not because he had to apology. But because of what he had to apology for. He couldn't believe, he'd been so stupid, so reckless, to compliment on Ahsoka –__**his **__sixteen-year-old__** student**__- on such a baffling way -in front of a Council Member nontheless! On one hand he was grateful, it had been Obi-Wan, and not someoneelse –particularly not Plo Koon, who_ _avowedly viewed the girl as his niece -, but it made the whole situation even more embarrassing at the same time._

„_Wait a minute, why should I feel bad? Ok, neither as a Jedi, neither as her teacher, I shouldn't have said that at all, and esspecially not dip it on her like that, but basicly there's nothing wrong, with praising a girl, right?" he thought as he went after her. However, what really scared him, was how Ahsoka reacted. The shock and fright on her face… She really must had felt embarassed, and he could totally understand it. He couldn't even imagine, what would had he done, in a reverse situation. „I hope I didn't scare her too much…I'd hate it, if because of this incident, I had to hand her training over to another master, or if it ruined our friendship…no, she's not just a friend. She's more like a sister to me."_

„_Oh is she, now?" he asked himself. „Aren't you just trying to lie to yourself? When you said that compliment, you didn't look at her, like one looks at his sister."_

„_How would I know, I don't have a sister!"_

„_But, if you had one, it would be really bad, if you had the same thoughts about her, like the ones you had, when Ahsoka's cleavage grabbed your eyes." Anakin felt his face redden. For some reason he already hated this new, witty voice of his conscience- it reminded him too much to Obi-Wan._

„_Oh, just shut up, will'ya! I can't believe that, I'm so confused, I'm actually arguing with myself!" he finally arrived to Ahsoka's room. He raised his hand to sign at the control-panel, but he froze. For some reason he really didn't want to have this discussion._

„_I could just turn back…Probably it would be for the best…No! I owe her as much, as not just pretend it never happened!" But he still couldn't move._

„_What are you afraid of, if you're really thinking about her just as a sister?"_

„_I'm not afraid! And she IS like a __**sister**__ to me!"_

„_Then why is your hand shaking? And why are you hesitating? Which are you more scared about? The hoped, or the reasonable reaction?"_

„_I already told you, to SHUT UP!" he again, tried to sign, but his hands refused to make other movements than shaking violently. He stood there for a few minutes, until he was able to regain control of his rebellious body. Again he raised his hand, but his weaker half, didn't give in just yet. Ultimately, instead of signing at the control-panel, he ended up knocking on the door:_

„_It's me. Please, let me in!" he said with great effort, and added it in thought „Before I change my mind." the door immediately slid open. Ahsoka didn't look up to him, just stepped aside, so he could enter. For a brief moment Anakin thought, it'd be better if they talked things out there, standing in the door, but realised it would be way too embarrassing. So he stepped in. Chill ran up his spine as the door closed behind him. He turned to face Ahsoka, but the girl stubbornly refused to make eye-contact with him…'tho Anakin was sure, if she didn't, he'd be the one looking away. Despite –or exactly because?- of this he turned his head down, and watched the floor. Then he started to sputter about how sorry he had been, and how much he had had no idea what got into him. He was so nervous and so disorganised, it took him five seconds to notice the delicate fingers grabbing tightly on his tunic, and that his blabbering had long been muffled by something very soft, warm and wet, at his mouth. But he realised __**who**__ it was immediately._

_**AHSOKA KISSED HIM!**_

_His first reaction was utter, and complete shock. His mind and body totally froze, like he'd been carbonited. His eyes gouged. His heart skipped a beat. His breath was cut. Then almost as a reflex, came the urge to push her away from himself. His arms instinctively rose to do so, but at halfway the goal of the move changed, and instead they wrapped themselves around Ahsoka's frame, with his right resting on her left scapula, while his left was positioned gently against her hind head-tail and montrals. His right pulled her even closer. His eyes closed, and then, throwing out of the window, each and every decisions about not getting involved with others ever again, he returned the kiss. _

_End Fl_ashback

* * *

„_God damn it, stop recalling it!"_ Anakin yelled at himself mentally for the umpteenth time. He was „mediating" in the Room of a Thousand Fountains, trying to chase away, or at least figure out his newfound thoughts and emotions about Ahsoka, but all in vain. Her kiss countinued to burn on his lips, with such heat, like he had felt only once before. „_What the hell is wrong with me? It's one thing that, she kissed me first, but as her mentor, I should've stopped her, not kissing back!"_

„Guess I really didn't think about her, barely as a sister." he muttered. He could sense that, noone was in the greenhouse aside from himself, so he didn't have to worry, about someone overhearing him. And it was easier to bring his thoughts together if he said them out loudly. „Come to think of it, we always had a kinda special special relationship…After all, I'm only four years older, than she is. The usual age difference between Master and Apprentice is around ten years at the least. She always had something, that I liked about her… I don't know…When did I stop looking at her as my Padawan, and well, if not exactly as a sister, at least as a cousin? When did I start, without noticing it, develop deeper emotions towards her? Was it that, she could make me forget about Padmé, even if it was just for a short time? Wait a minute…the Padmé, I saw in that vision, after Ahsoka was hospitalized, said something about that, she wants me to forget about the past, or I won't see what the present may offer. Could she meant this? Now that I think about it, Ahsoka has been besides me all this time. Could I really took a liking for her, without realising it? Apparently…yes I could..."

„Damn! What should I do? Becasue I fall for Padme, her death nearly turned me to the Dark Side, and it kept haunting me for the past year. If I carry such an attachment towards Ahsoka, who knows, what would I do, if she got hurt? Not just that, getting into a romantic affair with one's own apprentice, is the worst possible way of breaking the part of the Jedi Code about relatiohships! We barely escaped being discovered, and this was the very first time! We both could have been expelled for that one kiss!"

„Just calm down!...First I must clearify this situation in front of myself. Then I'll have to talk it out with her. I just hope, she won't get any ideas…"

„_Do you really hope that? Or you're just disclaiming again?"_

„I thought I told you to SHUT THE HELL UP!"

* * *

Flash_back_

„_Oh, man, what was I thinking? I must have lost it, just retreat, before it's too late!" Ahsoka felt like her heart was about to jump out. How could she's been so stupid, so reckless to do this? „Just pull away! It's not too late, he's so scattered, he didn't even notice it yet. He's still trying to apology!" She couldn't decide which one irritateded her more: herown silly and rush action, or Anakin's blind ignorance. „Ok, get away from him, RIGHT NOW!" she yelled at herself, but she really didn't want to. It just felt sooo good, hanging on his tunic, and the taste of his lips between hers…_

_Then it was too late. Reality caught up with her shocked Master. Ahsoka felt his whole body stiffen, his jaws forming a stunned, perfect „O". She heard his breathing got stucked._

„_Oh, god, I'm finished! He'll surely push me away!" certainly enough, in the next moment Ahsoka felt the tiny currents in the air caused by the movement of his arms. „Just get out off his reach, broke it, before he does!" but she couldn't move. All she could do, was waiting for his rejection._

_But it didn't come. Instead, his arms wrapped her around, and pulled her into his warm embrace. She could feel his body relax, and so did her's. Then the unimagineable happened. His jaws moved, and he kissed her back._

_In that instant, what little strenght remained in her knees disappeared. If it wasn't for the strong arm on her back, she'd have collapsed. „Wow!...He certainly knows how to kiss. Is he a natural in this as well, or had he someoneelse to kiss before?" she wondered musingly, giving a moment for jealousy to stung her, before it had been melted away. „Damn, I don't care! He's here, and right now, it's me who he is kissing!"_

_End Fl_ashback

* * *

Ahsoka openned her eyes. It was useless to try and sleep. All she could think about, was that wonderful five minutes, and the possible sequels. She was sure, if she had been an ordinary girl, she would be only dreaming about the pleasant possibilities. However she was a Jedi, and she knew it all too well, that things weren't always going as one wished. She just experinced it, from the first hand. She was unable to count how many times had her super-sensitive Togruta senses helped her out in the war, but this time she was really grateful for them. Otherwise the scandal would have been really hard to avoid. Thanks to her montrals, she felt the new-comers just in time, to push Anakin and herself appart, before the door slid open, and Ala bulged in, with Barriss following her more carefully. When she saw them, Ahsoka mentally kicked herself on the butt. She totally forgot, that Ala was temporarly accomodated in her quarters as well, along with that, Barriss still made a medical check on her her in every three-hours. They both froze, when they saw Anakin and her standing a few steps away from each other, gasping heavily. Anakin was even red as a Lethan Twi'lek, while Ahsoka's face was covered in sweat. At that moment she wanted nothing more, than throwing out the duo, and locking up the door, but since that would had been a dead give away, she restrained herself.

„_It's a good thing, we're arguing so, much with Skyguy._" Ahsoka thought as she recalled the situation. _„So Barriss immediately guessed we had another dispute."_ she turned around on her mattress.

„Can't sleep,either?" she heard Ala's voice from a few inches away. Ahsoka froze. She had been sure the girl was asleep.

„Sorry, did I wake you?"

„No. I had a nightmare. It's Ledér." Ahsoka raised an eyebrow. The name didn't mean anything to her, but Ala's tone made her worry.

„Who?"

„The witch, you killed." she added: „Hellrider's bitch. I still have some of her memories in my head." For a moment Ahsoka couldn't figure out what was she talking about. Then the realization struck her. She sat up, and turned on the night-lights. Ala covered her eyes for a moment.

„You remember her, and what happened when I confronted them? What about your attestation? You said, you can't remember, if there was anybody executed, prior to the time Hellrider left that planet! You lied, didn't you?" Ahsoka yelled at her infuriously. Ala seemed to regret that she let it slip. She replied however:

„Yes, I did."  
"Why did you? It's essential for us to know everything about them! Are you trying to cove…"

„_Shut up, now! Don't say something you'd surely regret!"_ she yelled at herself, just in time. She could already clearly see tears in Ala's eyes.

„Because I was afraid. Afraid, that if I'd told you everything, you wouldn't have any reason to come and talk with me. You're the first one of my species, I've spoken with for a long time -not counting **her**. And you were kind to me, like nooneesle, eversince I was separeted from my family." Ahsoka felt ashamed. She sat down next to Ala, and hugged her. Ala blinked, and for a second didn't move. Then she started to cry.

„You have no idea, what it was like there. I've never had a single friend. I could talk to noone. We were always separeted from the other slaves, and while I was serving somebody, I was not allowed to say a word, so I mostly spoke to myself when I was alone in my cell. I want to forget everything, and I eminently don't want to remember her. Out of all the twisted, evil people out there, she was by far the worst to me!"

Ahsoka was thunderstruck. Since Ala regained consciousness after the death of Hellrider, she always showed the mask of an ever-cheerful, cheeky, a bit nosy, and easy-going girl with a tendency of being hyper-active. Now that she thought about what a horrible life she must had had as a slave in a pirate-ruled empire, Ahsoka couldn't believe that she was fooled by Ala's act.

„Ala, you're my friend, and that won't change, no matter what. I won't turn away from you I promise!" she tried to huss her.

„Really?" the girl looked up.

„Really." for a minute they didn't move, or say anything. Then Ala asked:

„Do you want me to tell about Ledér, now?"

„No, if you aren't feeling ready just yet." this seemed to calm her „But you must tell it to the Council tomorrow." upon hearing this, the timid smile disappeared from Ala's face.

„OK, I'll try. Sorry, for cracking up like this." she sniffed, while wiping her eyes.

„It's all right."

„Thank's for comforting me." she said with a final sob. Then a wide, mischievous grin spread across her face, so suddenly, that it was scary. „Soooo tell me, what happened between you, and that handsome knight of your's?" Ahsoka dropped her chin, then recoiled from Ala. For a second, she couldn't say a thing, then she started to sputter denial in total horror:

„Nothing!" she claimed „I'm serious!" She added when she saw, Ala only giggled „He's not MY knight, anyway!…Sure he IS a Jedi Knight, and he is MY Master, but he's not my knight, not like a boy-friend…"

„Boy-friend? Who said anything about him being your guy?" Ala interrupted „I just wanted to know what were you two talking about." at this point, she gave a sharp smile „But at least it turned out, that you've desperately fallen for his charms." Ahsoka froze, then Ala cruelly continued: „Too bad. You have absolutely no chance, for that he'll ever notice you, as a girl." Something shattered in Ahsoka's mind, and she yelled at her f(r)iend without thinking.

„WHAT DO YOU KNOW? WE'VE ALREADY KISSE…" she slapped on her mouth, but it was too late.

„I KNEEEEEW IT!" Ala screamed in joy. Ahsoka was terrified by the fact she had been so easily led right into a trap. Now she was really happy that all personal quarters in the Temple-including even the apprentices'- were soundproof.

„So, how the two of you are? I mean, since when…?" Ala's insolently nosy question hit Ahsoka unexpectedly. Her surprise must had been written on her, because Ala seemed to have realised that, she had touched on a very sensitive spot.

„Sorry. I didn't mean to be assertive." Ahsoka shook her head, trying to return to the reality.

„It's all right. But you're confusing me, more than all the other things, that happened in the past days combined. I can't get a read on you, and your mood changes." Ala responded her with a sad smile:

„When you live in misery and emotional isolation for as long as I had, you've two choices: to fed upon your pain, go insane, and ultimately: die. Or learn to bear it, let go of it, brush it off and be happy for the tiniest of good news. Even if that only means, that someoneelse, like a child or an elder got enough food or water for once, while you'd been starved for weeks. I learnt that, I saw that, with my own eyes: even living in total despondency, is better than to die in the middle of it. So until I could, I had always pretended that the bad things happening around me, weren't real. And when I couldn't hold up this illusion any more, I cried my pains out, then laughed with with someone, even if that was one of my tormentors. And see? I retained my sanity, and I'm finally free, and I have you, and Barriss to talk with, to cheer me on, and who knows how many others may I find later?" Ahsoka was left speechless by this. She felt her eyes getting wet, so she wiped them. Then she whet her throat:

„You know Ala, until now, I've been thinking about you, as a crazy, goofy, but loveable girl, who had a tragedic past. Now I see that, you're actually a thousand times stronger, than I can ever hope to become." Ala grinned sheepishly.

„I hope you'll never have to…OK, enought crying, more laugthing! Bring it on: how far have the two of you got?" hearing this Ahsoka gave a laugh, that souned more like a groan, before she told what exactly had happened.

* * *

„Are you sure about this, Shaak Ti? It was my understanding, that the last one of those died fourthousand years ago, protecting Shili from the Sith." Plo Koon asked the Togruta Master, who nodded:

„Your information is correct, but I can't imagine any otherway. No Force-sensitive three-year-old is capable of deflecting a fully-trained Dark Jedi's Force-Lightning, nor stopping a fire storm. Not even if she would have three times higher midichlorian count than Skywalker's, which I assume she doesn't have."

„No, she doesn't. Her midichlorian count, 'tho unusually high between your people, is on the pair with an average Jedi's. Which off course, combined with her Togruta heritage, enough to grant her as much Force-potential, as anyone on the Council. You're the perfect example of it. However, this is exactly why I think you're wrong about her. Wasn't all the Tamers, completely blind to the Force? How in the universe is she able to use it, if she was one of them?"

„I don't know. Maybe because so far your seal have suppressed her prior talents, it gave way for the Force to find her."

„So far? You don't think it's in place anymore?"

„Don't worry about that. Even if the seal really broke, it's very likely that I'm wrong. According to the legend, only once in each fivehundred years would a Tamer born, and as you pointed it out, that span elapsed eight times, since the last one died. It's sad, but very possible, that their bloodline died out. And if she really is a Tamer, it is time for her to learn about it anyway. However, I can't tell whether she's a new one or not. Not without testing her, that is."

„And how are you planning to do that?" the Kel Dor asked with deep concern. Shaak replied with a mysterios smile:

„Have you ever heard of the Dance of the Akul?"

„No...?"

„Well then," she stopped in front of a door, and signed „even if just an amaturish version of it, but now you shall see it for yourself." the door slid open. „Greetings, Youngone. I hope we didn't wake you."

* * *

„Master Plo? Master Ti?" Ahsoka almost sat down from the surprise, and fright _„Are they here, because Anakin renounced training me?"_ however she forced calm on herself, and asked:

„What can I be at your services?" Shaak Ti handed over a small package to her.

„Put these on! No other clothes, no shoes, no underwear! I'll be waiting for you in the Room of a Thousand Fountains in fifteen minutes." she said on an unusually cold tone. Ahsoka heard that Master Ti was normally a kind woman, but when she meant business, she could became as cold and cruel as the space, but this was the first time she'd ever seen this hardside of her. She gulped, and bowed:

„As you wish, Master. May I ask…"

„No. You shall find out why, once we're there." then she turned around and left. Master Plo watched her leaving, then turned to Ahsoka. It wasn't easy to read the Kel Dor's expression, but Ahsoka didn't have to. His concern for her flowed through the Force.

„Master Plo, is there something I should know about?" she asked, but he turned away, following the Togruta Jedi. However over his shoulder he looked back at her, and said:

„That is exactly what we'd like to find out as well. By the way" now there was something in his tone, that made Ahsoka worry „don't bring your lightsabers along."

* * *

„So here you're, Skywalker!" Anakin opened his eyes, and saw Shaak Ti standing a few steps away from him. When he saw her, he had to blink twice before he was convinced about that he wasn't hallucinating: the Togruta Master had left her usual, heavy robes somewhereelse, and she was standing in a small lake, almost naked, wearing only a soft brown cloth, that was rather a bra, than a top, and a similar part covering her groin. She also had some other stripes of textile bound on her legs and arms, and she was about to tie together her three-feet-long lekku behind her shoulders with another one.

„I was looking for you. I wanted to tell you."

„What?" Shaak Ti gave him a warning look.

„Here, in a few minutes, your Padawan shall fight me, an unarmed battle, until one can't move any longer!"

* * *

**OH MAN, WHERE ARE THESE AGGRESSIVE PLOT BUNNIES TAKING ME?**

**Please stop them, with your wall of Reviews!**

******(ANd BTW Yes, Ahsoka's new outfit is the same one she got in "Heroes on Both Sides", while the clothes Shaak Ti is currently wearing are the ones she wears in The Force Unleashed I.)**  



	10. Chapter 10

**Hello everybody!**

**First of, ****Allow me to share "happy" news (for me) with you:**

******On the 10th, this month, I turned 1year-old as a Fanfiction author on this site. From this occasion, I'd like to thank everyone, who bothered him-, or herself by reading my stories, and esspecially thank everyone, who encouraged me with a few lines of replies. Thank You All! I hope you liked my writings so far, and really hope you'll continue to enjoy them in the future.**

******Secondly, some bad news (for both you, and me)**

**Fiiinally finished this chapter...'tho I have a bad feeling, it didn't turn out as well as I hoped it would...I didn't really have time, and I'm afraid I'll have even less in the future. My timetable is horribly stuffed, and if I don't want to be kicked out from the university, I'll have to work really hard. Therefore, I have no idea, when will I be able to update next time.**

**AldamonBurst, ****Ahsoka320 and x-men are awesome: I'm glad you like the story. AldamonBurst:** Don't sweat it. I'm happy for any feed backs. Still if you notice anything, please point it out.

**All right, let's see, what happened a long time ago, in that Alternate Galaxy, far far away:**

* * *

„Are you insane?" Anakin yelled, jumping up. „Why in the universe would you do that?" Shaak Ti sent him a cold, commanding glipmse, that silenced him. There was something in her eyes, that somehow restrained his sudden anger. Only after that, she answered:

„It is time for her 'Aalch'icti'." the last word sounded really weird: the first syllable was accompanied by a tremor, while the second sounded kind of like a bird thrill.

„Pardon? I don't speak Togruti." Shaak Ti gave him a strange half-smile, that almost looked like she pitied him.

„Let's just wait, until Ahsoka arrives." she said, then sat down on a rock, and started to meditate. A few minutes later she added:

„You may watch it, because, you're her teacher. But I warn you: do not dare to interfere! Master Plo will oversee see it, as judge." she barely finished when the Kel Dor arrived.

„As a judge?" Anakin echoed. „Is this some sort of match?" he asked but neither the woman, nor the Kel Dor responded him, so he decided to wait patiently. Maybe five minutes passed, when finally Ahsoka arrived too.

„_You've gotta to be kidding!"_ Anakin's thoughts cried out, when he saw, that the girl was dressed similarly to Shaak Ti, except the parts of her „dress" were made from black leather. Shaak Ti openned her eyes. She seemed to be annoyed:

„I told you, Youngling: Nothingelse, but the dress!" Ahsoka looked at her in confusion

„Excuse me, Master, but I don't wear anythingelse."

„Is that so?" She moved too fast for human-eye to follow. She covered the fifteen meters between them in blink. As she stood before the younger Togruta, her figure suddenly appeared to be much higher, than she really was. She raised her hand. Ahsoka stepped back, thinking she was about to hit her. But she didn't. Instead she tore the akul-tooth-headress off of her forehead. Then she spun around her, still too quickly to detect, and took Ahsoka's silka-bead Padawan-braid as well.

„No jewels are allowed on an Aalch'icti!" she thundered. Although Anakin had decided to remain cool earlier, at this point his irritation got the best of him- esspecially after he had seen understanding ran through on Ahsoka's face.

„OK, that's it! What the hell is that '_**Alsykti**__'_?"

„Aalch'icti." Ahsoka corrected his pronunciation „It literally means 'Fate-dance'. It's an ancient, togrutan tradition. An initiation exam. It takes place during the Shili's summer equinox. All younglings of the village, who turned sixteen since the previous day-night equation, must participate –girls and boys alike. Only those who pass, may join the hunters of the village." Anakin was speechless for a few seconds. Then he shouted at Shaak Ti:

„You want to beat my Padawan half-dead, becasue of a stupid tradition?"

„Do you really have so little faith in your apprentice, Skywalker?" she asked. Anakin saw the waiting, worried look in Ahsoka's eyes. He looked directly in them as he replied:

„No. I'm well-aware that she's fully capable of protecting herself, if she has to. But she was hanging between life and death just a week ago. I don't think she should fight, until she perfectly recovered."

„That would be an acceptable reason, however it's invalid. I asked Barriss' opinion, and she said that Ahsoka is actually in better shape, than she had been, before she was attacked." Master Plo interrupted. Anakin rolled his eyes:

„Who's side on you're? Do you want Ahsoka to get killed?"

„I'm on nobody's side right now. I'm neutral. Otherwise, I couldn't be the judge."

„Master" Ahsoka said „don't worry, I'll be fine. Don't forget I'm good in unarmed fighting."

„Maybe, but Shaak Ti is the best hand-to-hand combatant of the High Council!"

„Oh really?" the Togruta woman looked back at him over her shoulder „I didn't know I've been hold in such high regard. I'll do my best to reach up to the expectations" Anakin raised an eyebrow, and so did Ahsoka. _„Is she mocking me, or her?"_ he thought.

„So, youngling," Shaak Ti turned to Ahsoka „are you ready?" Ahsoka bent her head

„Yes, Master."

„Very well. Skywalker, would you mind waiting next to Master Plo?" it rather sounded a command, than request, so Anakin didn't bother answering. He sent one more worried look to Ahsoka, then walked over to the Kel Dor.

„Why do you let her to do this?" he asked.

„It's easier for a human to breath in the space, than making a Togruta forget about their traditions. Just look at Ahsoka. She was four years old when I took her from Shili, and yet she still remember what the Aalch'icti is. I have a feeling, we would have to tie her down to stop her from taking it, even if she was hardly able to stand. Anyway, she's lucky. When Shaak Ti was in Ahsoka's age, the leader of her tribe came here personally. She was told, she would be exiled from the planet, if she didn't return and take the exam. Besides, do you remember what I told you, about how had I found Ahsoka?"

„Yes, but what does it have to do with this?"

„Shaak Ti has a _really_ wild theory about it. She wants to test it."

* * *

„_Allright, let's do this."_ Shaak Ti thought as she took the opening stance of the fighting-style, she developped herself. _„I have never used the Ch'icti o akul in a fight before. I didn't know why, but I always had had a feeling I should reserve it for a special occasion. I just hope this really IS that occasion. If she is a Tamer, her body will recognise it, and answer accordingly. Well that's the theory, at least. My style is so incomplete and amaturish compaired to the original, it would be a smaller miracle if it really worked out that easily."_ Ahsoka raised her fists, and stepped back with her right leg, hoping for support in the wider stance. The elder Togruta couldn't help but smile.

„_How naive."_ she thought. In the next second Master Plo gave the signal. Shaak Ti switched into stand-to, and raised both her arms above her head. Ahsoka launched herself with speed unique to their carnivorus people. She was at halfway, when Shaak Ti sent the massive Force-ball she created towards her. Ahsoka must have senced it, becasue in the very last moment, she jumped up, spinning in the air sideways, getting out of the bullets reach. Shaak Ti barely threw the ball, when she already lifted her left leg, until her knee was inline with her shoulder, proving her increadible flexibility and balance. Then, before Ahsoka could land, she slammed her foot to the ground, causing a powerful shockwave, that caught the girl, and bashed her with her back to a tree. Ahsoka eeked from the collision. She couldn't even make a move, when Shaak Ti was already standing above her, with fists raised to hit. All of this happened in two seconds.

* * *

„_Nice one, Little Soka!"_ Plo Koon praised the girl in mind, when she blocked two powerful punches by catching Shaak Ti's wrists. However the Master didn't hesitate to grab the opportunity. Her fingers clenched on Ahsoka's arm. Then with amazing speed, she kicked the girl's legs out from under her body, spin around and sent her flying to the small lake. Ahsoka dove for a second, then came up coughing water.

„I won't let this go any further!" Anakin said, and moved to stop them.

„Don't do it!" Plo said. Anakin turned around

„I will not watch my Padawan die, because of a barbaric tradition!" he yelled. Plo replied calmly:

„If you don't want to see it, go and wait outside!" Anakin was nearly blinded by rage, when he heard this, but before he could say another word, the Kel Dor continued:

„You'd disgrace Ahsoka. Maybe this exam seems to be barbaric, but it's nothing different from the Jedi Trials. Besides, Shaak doesn't want to kill her. She just want to bring out something from her." Anakin sighed, and –'tho still trembling with anger- continued to observe the fight which started to get interresting.

„_So is this the Dance of the Akul?"_ Plo asked himself, as he watched Shaak Ti's movements closely. _„Surely I've never seen something like this before. It resembles Mace's Vaapad, but it's much more graceful…and even wilder. It deserves it's name. She avoids Ahsoka's counters and blocks like she was dancing, but her attacks are ferocious like a predator's."_ Ahsoka was horribly outmatched. She couldn't block more than half-a-dozen punches and kicks, and couldn't score a single hit. Plo glimpsed over at Skywalker.

„_If this takes any longer, I don't know if I'll be able to stop him from intervening."_ he had barely gotten to the end of this thought, when Ahsoka was slammed against a tree again. „_What should I do? Shall I stop it? No, it's begun only two minutes ago. The judge can't call off the exam, until at least five minutes had passed, or if one of them can't move for more than twenty seconds."_ As he watched, Ahsoka slowly stood up. But this time something was different about her. Plo crinkled his forehead. _„For some reason, Ahsoka's Force-presence has just weakened, but she seems to be allright, aside from the bruises. Could this be it?"_

* * *

„_Something has changed."_ Shaak Ti thought, when she looked in Ahsoka's eyes. _„She's been numb, since my first hit. But now her eyes are perfectly clear…"_ in this moment Ahsoka moved. But so quickly, even the Master's increased ability to sense movements could barely follow it. She was able to duck Ahsoka's punch in the very last moment, but didn't have time to respire, because the girl continued her assault. Her kicks and hits were beastial, they lacked control, and were proposed to kill, and yet they were surprisingly elegant and graceful. Almost like…

„_No doupt of it. She's mirroring my style…_" she blocked a kick, and narrowly avoided another punch, then tried to counter. But Ahsoka easily danced away from each of her moves. Her arms moved like snakes, as she continued to attack. _„No, there's more to it. Even though it took me years to reach this level, she copied it almost perfectly, and even took it furter at some point…I was never able to reach the point where no defence is needed."_ Shaak Ti smiled _„So I was right after all. There's no other explanation. Noone, but them could learn the third circle of the Ch'icti o akul barely because it was used against them. She is from the Archtribe…Now to see, if I was right about the other thing as well."_ she Force-pushed Ahsoka towards an ivy-covered tree, jumped up making a backflip, and collected the Force in her feet. Still air-borne, she waved towards the liannes, which quickly tied down the surprised Padawan.

„_Let's test it, if she is a Tamer."_ she struck both her feet into the ground, just like earlier. However, this time she did it with such power, that the shockwave threw head-sized rocks towards the incapacitated girl!

Then it happened.

* * *

Anakin lurched and grabbed his temples. He had never felt anything like this. The Force…the Force itself trembled, just like the sea, when shook by a gigantic earthquake. Something, very deep beneath the deepest he had ever reached into the Force, was awakened, and bursted up to the surface with the power of tenthousand solar flares.

„Can you feel it too?" Anakin gasped the question to Plo Koon, who looked back at him in confusion

„All I can feel, is that I don't feel anything. All of a sudden my connection with the Force was totally severed." Anakin couldn't believe his ears. „_There's no way, someone with his powers can't sence THIS!"_ He closed his eyes, and tried to focus. _„It's almost like…Yeah, something warrped up the Force into a gigantean vortex! What hell is going on here?" _he heard Plo Koon's astonished voice:

„Skywalker, look!" so he openned his eyes, and saw it. Silver-colored ghostflames incinerated the ivies, that held down Ahsoka, and in the same moment a watersprout erupted from the small lake, and formed a whirling wall between the girl and the speeding stones. But something was really weird about it...(Asides of the fact it was a whirlpool, that came from nowhere!) Just like the fire, the water seemed…otherwordly? And the amount was much, much more, than what the small pod contained. _„What's this? I didn't notice it yet, but… in the center of the disturbance in the Force…yes, it's Ahsoka!"_

* * *

Count Dooku slipped and fall down on his knees in the office of his Castle. The Dark Side had just left him for quite a few seconds, and altough he regained his sences, all he could feel, was the Force being twisted out of it's natural flows, by something he hadn't even heard of. He felt more and more of both Sides being erased by the second, and something emerging in their place. And then, just as suddenly as it came, the unusual phenomenon stopped. No sooner, his Holoprojector signed an incoming call. He activated and bowed in front of his Master.

„My Lord." he greeted Sidious, then looked up. He was surprised to see, that the hood, which he had always worn with extreme care, barely híd his face this time.

„Judging by your expression Lord Tyranus, you have felt it too."

„Off course, Master. But I can't even dare to comprehend, what it was. Do you have any explanations?" Sidious's mouth was distorted by a snarl:

„I have only one idea, that could possibly explain this event: an Essence Tamer has just born, on the Shili. But that's almost impossible. It was said only one would be born in every fived centuries, and only thirteen years ago, one of my henchmen eliminated the latest, and last surviving descendant of the Archtribe." Dooku looked at him in utter confusion:

„Archtribe? Essence Tamer? Those sort of ring a bell, but for some reason I can't remember anything concrete."

„I am not surprised. It took decades of research even for me, to find out any useful information about them."

„Shall you fill me in the details?" Sidious seemed to reflect on the request:

„I don't think I have a choise. But I won't tell you trought the HoloNet. Come to our meeting place, immediately!"

„As you wish, my Lord."

* * *

„What did you do to her?" Anakin yelled at the heavily gasping Shaak Ti, while he picked up his unconscious Padawan from the mud.

„I'm sorry, I had to knock her out cold. Don't worry, she'll be fine- if we can keep this as a secret, that is. No, don't take her anywhere!" Anakin looked at her angrily, but carried Ahsoka over to a grass-covered spot, that hadn't been torn up, or soaked by the previous battle, and laid her down. A few seconds later she openned her eyes.

„Hey, how're you?" Anakin asked, but Ahsoka's looked over his shoulder, to Shaak Ti.

„So, did I pass?" she asked silently. Shaak Ti came over to them, and so did Plo Koon.

„Yes, you did. In fact, you did it with flying colours."

„And the most concerning part, that exactly is." the four of them turned around, and saw Master Yoda tumble towards them, from the direction of the door.

„Master Ti, understand the traditions of your people I do, but to stage an Aalch'icti in the Room of a Thousand Fountains, necessary it was? Esspecially with a suspicion like this."

„What did you suspect, Shaak Ti?" Anakin asked with a hard edge.

„Patience, Skywalker." Plo Koon said. „First, it's time for me to reveal everything in front of Ahsoka, about what event's led me to find her."

"The truth?" Ahsoka asked. This took her by surprise.

"Yes. You don't remember everything that occured back then, partially because you were too young. It all started with my former apprentice: Sul Caas."

„Wait." Ahsoka interrupted „I've heard that name before…wasn't she the one, to hold the records of both the youngest Innitiate to be appointed to the rank of Padawan, at the age of seven, and the youngest Padawan to be Knighted, at the age of sixteen?"

„Correct, you are." Master Yoda replied „Definitely, an unprecedented talent, she was. By the time, a Padawan to Master Plo, she became, she had gathered considerable knowledge about the ways of the Force, an ingenious lightsaber duelist she became, AND" at this time the old Master sent a meaningful glance towards Anakin „mature, well beyond her age, she was. At least think so, we did."

„What about her?" Ahsoka asked „I thought she died in a space accident." Plo Koon nodded:

„I was the one, who wrote that report. It's fake. The only ones, who –until recently- have known about what had really happened to her, were Master Yoda and myself." Master Plo replied.

„The end of her story, is the beggining of your's."

* * *

_Thirteen years prior (2:6:18) Above Planet Shili, Ehosiq sector_

„_I must stop her! I can't let her release those beasts on that planet."_ Plo thought as he chased the transport, in which his former apprentice Sul Caas, had hundreds of deadly terentatek waiting to be unleashed on the unsuspecting Shili._ „She had so much potential…How, and when did she turn to the Dark Side? And more importantly: why? Why is she planning to attack her own home planet, with the most dangerous creatures that ever existed?"_ he quivered, and grabbed his left upperarm, where a wide, but not deep wound remained from his encounter with one of those monsters on the Korribban.

„_I hope, the universal antidote will be enough, at least to slow down the venom. Sul would be a hard opponent, even if I was in my best shape." _he increased the speed of his fighter, but the damaged ship had barely survived the Hyperspace-jump, and the highest speed it was able to produce, was roughly one quarter of it's maximum. _„I won't be able to catch up to her, before we reach Shili! I'll have to shoot her down, in the moment I got in firerange!"_ he gave more speed, and tried to not care about the protestant jarring the fighter replied with._ „Even if I die, I must not let her land!"_ ever slowly the distance decreased between the two ships, but the Kel Dor wasn't satisfied _„She'll be in the atmosphere in three minutes! I must act now!"_ he closed his eyes, and let the Force to guide him. No computer could have aimed the engines of the trasport from this far, not with the fighter's guns at least. But no computer could rival a Jedi's sences either. Plo Koon waited for the right moment, then fired a barrage of laserjets at Sul's ship. Most of the bullets missed, owing rather to the hybrid girl's skills as a pilot, rather than the distance. But not all of them. A few struck the ship, exactly at the engines. A series of explosions followed the hits. They weren't enough to destroy the transport, but they did their purpose: it slowed down, and stopped, drifting without purpose in the void of space, equilibrating on the edge of the gravitational field of the Togruta homeworld, but safely far away from it. Plo closed by the dud. When he reached it, a penstock openned, and the young Twi'lek-Togruta hybrid appeared in a thin-spacesuit. He could see her rusty colored face, with green markings behind the light helmet's window. Her once emerald eyes, had a sick yellow tone. _„Why is she wearing such a thin suit?" _Plo asked himself, but found the answer almost immediately, as the girl activated her saberstaff. _„Of course! That suit will protect her, only as long as my hide could protect me, in space. So, she wants to fight me here, and now. I don't know how much she learnt from those Sith Holocrons she had found. I'm not sure, if I could defeat her. But if I tried to shoot her down, she might would reflect the laser fire with her lightsaber. Even if she couldn't, killing her like this, wouldn't be in accordance with the Jedi way. I must at least try to save her! She hasn't done anything unforgiveable, yet, so there's still might be hope."_ he prepared himself, degassed, and openned the fighters's cockpit, and in the same moment jumped towards the othership. He used the Force, to he stuck his feet to the hulk, and faced his failed Padawan, who smiled behind the helmet.

„Welcome, Master! I thought my other pets have taken care of you. But you know what? I'm glad you made it to here. At least I can have the pleasure of killing you myself." Plo heard her malevoulent voice from his radio

„Don't do this, Sul! You can still turn back! Don't let the Dark Side to consume you!"

„Hahaha! Still as idealistic as ever, Master. I thought you got to know me better, than that. I want power, and I'll get it by all means! Even if I have to give up my free will, I'll be the strongest in the universe! I never wanted anythingelse, just you, and the other fools in the Jedi Order failed to see it. And since there were nothing left, that you could teach me, I searched for another teacher, and I was succesful! I found someone, stronger than all those clowns you call „Masters" combined! Just imagine it: he agreed to train me, if I did a favor for him: eliminate someone on Shili, and take him a few Holocrons from the Korribban! A small price, in exchange for the knowledge of how to become allmighty, wouldn't you agree?"

„So that's why you came here. To fulfill your end of the bargain. But why are you plannig to use those horrible creatures?"

„Why not? What's the point of a hunt, without some beageles? They're listening to me, and only me! They will find every Force-sensitive, in whichever area I release them. And if they kill some others, who cares? It's all part of the fun!" and she laughed. Plo was thunderstruck. Now he was sure, there's noway he could turn the girl back to the right path. It wasn't really what she said, that convinced him, it was rather how she said it. That insane tone, permanently burnt itself into his memories. He took his lightsaber in his hand, and activated it. _„It won't be easy to duel her out here, but I can't let her live."_ he lifted his left hand, and unleashed a barrage of lightning from his fingertips. Sul didn't seemed to be phased by it. Before the Electric Judgement struck her, she blocked it's way with her lightsaber, then slowly started to walk on the hulk towards Plo Koon. The emerald-colored double-blades were spinning in her hands so quickly, they looked like a firey buzzsaw, from which the Kel Dor's attack was splintered off like blaster fire. _„Just as I expected."_ he stopped the attack. They looked in each others eyes. Then they clashed. Despite the Kel Dor's physical advantage, his decades of experience, and mastery of Djem So, he was quickly forced onto the defense by the vertiginously whirling lightblades. But he wasn't impatient. He knew his former students fighting-style. He knew exactly when he has to push the offence, and where to strike, in order to gain the upperhand. After a quick set of pairies, with one powerful, perfectly carried out twist, he cut down one of the emitters on Sul's sabberstaff hilt. The girl backed off, then attacked with a powerful Force Lightning. Altought Plo managed to block it with his lightsaber, a few of them managed to struck him.

„Allright, if this is how you want to play it…" he switched into a two-handed grip, and launched a ferocious assault. He could feel his anger, his disappointment building up in him, but did't let them to overcome his mind. Stepp-by-stepp Sul was pushed back. Losing one of her blades, was a great setback for her, but her talent was still enough to stand toe-to-toe with Plo Koon's skill and experience. For a few minutes they attacked, blocked, countered, but neither could even get to close to injuring the other. Then they found themselves face-to-face, divided by their weapons, caught in a saber lock. Only Plo Koon could benefit from this situation, it was obvious. Despite all the training, the small girl couldn't hope to resist the Kel Dor's bone-crushing physical strength for a longer period. Even the weightlessness couldn't help her, since she lost as much because of it, as her opponent did.

„You might as well give up!" Plo said, as he forced her onto one-knee. She grinned:

„You're underestimating me, Master!" she released the hilt with one hand, and formed a cramp with her thumb, fore-, and middlefingers. Plo Koon immediately realised, what she was planning, but he didn't have time to react. He felt like a very big, increadibly powerful palm pressed down on his entire neck. blocking the arteries and veins, squeezing his laryngeal, and lifting him up, away from the ship. Then came the shocking pain of the Force Lightning.

„I stand corrected. You're not idealistic. You're simply naiv, Master. Did you really think, I came out here without a few tricks up in my sleeve?" Plo didn't even bother with trying to reply. He knew he couldn't speak. He also knew, he had no hope of breaking the Force Choke. Sul was way more powerful in the Force, than he himself. Instead he collected his remaining strength, and shot a powerful lightning towards the hulk. Sul didn't get the idea in time. The discharge hit the ship, and the metal-platting conducted the electricity straight to the failed Jedi. She tried to jump, but she was too late. The deadly grasp instantly released the Kel Dor, as his attack run through her body. Then the engines came to new life for a mere second, before they exploded, along with the entire stern. The detonation threw Plo Koon and his fighter away from the remainings of the ship, which drifted towards Shili. The Jedi Master watched in horror, as the transport was caught by the planet's gravitation, and started to dive. He could see Sul disappearing in the same penstock, through which she came out.

„I must stop that wrack!" he pulled himself to his ship with the Force, sat in the cockpit, and reactivated the system. He launched the engines, and tried his best to catch up to the meteor. He hoped he could shoot it to pieces. He knew it, if there was a pilot in the Galaxy, who still could land that thing, it was Sul. And he had no intention of letting those terentatek survive. But he forget about what a horrible shape his fighter was in. As soon as he entered the atmosphere, the engines drowned, the shield went off, and just like the transport, it fall through the sky. Through the flames on the window, he saw the little village in the last moment. He grabbed the handlebar, and with great effort, he turned the speeding ship away, barely avoiding the small huts. Then it crashed into the ground…

* * *

When he openned his eyes, the first thing he saw, was the canopy of a haulm-hootch. He felt tight bondages wrapped around his arm, and chest. He tried to sit up, but he was pushed back down right away, by a young Togruta woman, who was about twenty years old.

„Stay still. You have broken an arm, and several ribs. You mustn't move for a few days at least."

„I have to! You're…all in grave…danger! I must…make sure, that…those beasts didn't survive!" he gasped. He was shocked when the girl laughed him out.

„Don't worry. Nobody can hurt this village. Not now, when the legend is being fullfilled!"

„Please! Listen to me: nothing can save you from the terentatek, nor from the insane Dark Jedi, who brought them here!" the woman wanted to answer, but she was interrupted by a chirping voice. The woman and Plo looked towards the entrance. A small girl stood there, who couldn't had been older than four years. The woman responded her on the same language. Altought Plo didn't speak Togruti, he did notice the deep respect in the woman's voice. He also noticed somethingelse. That child was quite strong in the Force. He could feel it. And there was something more to her…

The woman's answer seemed to had cheered up the toddler, who spun around and ran away.

„Who is that child? You seem to really honor her. Is she the daughter of the chieftain, or something?" he asked, but the woman shook her head.

„No." she smiled mysteriously „She is the Linarali."

„The Linarali? Are you refering to the legend about Shili's daughter?" the woman seemed to be surprised by the fact he knew about it, but nodded:

„We just call her 'Anakta'o'sho, -which means child of the freeone on Togruti-, or Anakta for short. Yes, she is the one from the legend, but you're the first outsider we let to know it. If anyoneelse learn about this, it would put her, and the entire planet in danger." Plo gulped.

„I've just dropped by, quite literally. You don't even know me. Why are you putting so much much faith in me, in a complete stranger, if this knowledge is so vital for your people?"

„I know you're a Jedi. That's all I have to know."

* * *

_Later_

„We don't know who were her parents. Her mother had already gone into labour, when we found her at the border of the village." Nikana told Plo Koon, as she served an early dinner for him.

„I remember it clearly, because it happened only a couple of days before my Aalch'icti. Since I had been taught healing by my mother, -who was the wise woman that time- I was there the whole time. I have seen hard birthes prior and since, but her's was by far the most complicated. Her mother was about the same age as I'm now, but she was woozily thin and slatternly: it was obvious she had spent most of her pregnancy in the wild. By the time, she finally gave birth, she had exhausted her final energy reserves. She got one glimpse of her daughter, and died. She couldn't even name her." she stopped, and looked at the Kel Dor's face.

„Master Plo, what I'm about to tell you now, is a secret. You seems to be familiar with our mythology, is that right?"

„Not quite. I have studied some of your legends, that're greatly differing from anyother culture's, but strangely enough, bears some resemblence with Baran Do, or Jedi traditions.."

„Then you must know the legend about Shili's daughter?" Plo hesitatingly nodded:

„It's one of the most ancient myth of the Togruta, that's origins are predated to about a million years ago. It's also the only Togruta legend, your people refuse to tell most offworlders."

* * *

Shili, the Creator, from whom the planet of the Togruta had been named, foreseen that hir work will be in constant danger, by it's own immaturity, and one day, this could bring about an apocalyps. Hie knew, if this happens, hie wouldn't be able to stop it. Therefore hie decided that, at the werge of that cataclysm, a person will come, who will have the power to pull back the universe from the edge of destruction. But Shili feared, that this person would be just as fallible, as the rest of hir creation. For this reason, a guardian will be sent, to guide, protect and keep him or her on the right path. She'll be hir daughter, and three signs will identify her: first when she's born, four of Shili's serving spirits, will recognise her as their misstress. Then, before she could learn to talk, she'll protect the people around her, from something horrible.

* * *

„And the third sign will be an injured warrior, who'll fell out of the sky. He'll bring the news of a great threat, created by someone, he thought to know well. Does that description sound familiar?" Nikana interrupted. Plo shake his head in utter denial.

„No. This is just coincidence. After all, the first two signs weren't fullfilled, right?" when the girl didn't reply, Plo looked up at her:

„Right?" the girl smiled mysteriously, before answering:

„Wrong. They were fullfilled. Your arrival was the final proof."

* * *

**AN: No, the pronouns refering to "Shili, the Creator" aren't mispelled. Shili is neither a she, nor a he, but since hie is a person in that myth, I don't want to ferer hir as "it".**

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	11. Chapter 11

Plo Koon watched from the hut's window as the villagers assembled around the campfire. The day's assigned hunters had just arrived back a quarter hour earlier with their prey. While the adults skinned and prepaired the three impaled, ungulate animals, farther away at the villageborder, the children were playing around the pile, watched by the elders, who were prepairing the thimiars.

The Togruta were mostly nomads, born predators and exclusively carnivorous, and as such, they usually prefered rare meat. If they were on the move, they didn't bother with bigger animals, nor did they organised hunting groups. After they encamped for night, the young adults left and caught as much of the uncountable rodents inhabiting their planet, as much their respective family needed for dinner, and during the next day. However, if they settled down somewhere for a longer period, they normally fried their meal, but they still left it so much underdone, most species wouldn't really count it cooked at all. They didn't domesticate animals, nor did they store food for more than one day. If the prey seemed to lessen, they simply moved to new hunting grounds.

As Plo watched the peaceful scene, he couldn't help, but feel the twinge of fear. He had a feeling something terrible was going to happen. Since his fighter had broken down very early during his pursuit after Sul's descending shuttle, he didn't have a clue, whether she had been able to land, or if the ship had been destroyed beforehand. And if she had managed to save the ship, where did she arrive? If only he was able call for help from the Council, or at least inform Shili's goverment…Unfortunately, the village was thousands of miles away from the nearest town, and the villagers did't have neither a transmitter, nor any kind of vehicles, with the exception of a few handbarrows.

„Koh-toh-yah, Littleone." he said when senced the presence of the same child from earlier, as she tried to peep in, through the slightly openned door. Hearing his voice must have scared the girl for a moment, because she quickly shut the door close, just to open it a second later, and tuck her head in. She was a curious little girl, and she was trying her best to hide the small, mischievous smile, playing around her mouth. She was small, even for her age, a few inches below three-feet. She had rusty coloured skin, with two pairs of symmetrical white stripes on her face: one pair was wriggling on the middle of her forehead, snakeing down to and all the way along on her eyebrowbones, and another pair, shaped like arrowheads, one on both her cheeks. She also had two romb shaped white dots, one on both sides of her forehead, positioned between the two wings of the stripes. Her headtails barely reached down to her eyebrow bone, while her horns were nothing more, than tiny bulbs on the top of her head. Despite his worries, Plo had to smile, as he watched the toddler enter, everslowly, ready to run, should he make a move. When he looked in the child's big, gazing, blue eyes, he found it really hard to believe what he had been told about her. He tried to sence her through the Force, and he froze when he touched her Force-shape. Ordinarly, the waves of the Force simply flew through a being, who –depending on his or her potetial and experience- had the ability, to manipulate those waves to one degree or another. But this child…Plo could only compare her Force-presence to the pulsation of a neutronstar. She drew the Force in, spun it around, let the whirling vortex flew through and spin all-around her, and then let it return to it's normal flows. Except the waves she caught were distorted from their original currents. Not just that, but it was almost like the _thing_ in the center of vortex, was trying to isolate, and contain itself from the rest of the Force, by the whirling it created in it...

* * *

Flash_back_

„_How can you be so sure? What were those two signs?" Plo asked Nikana „According to the legend the first sign would have been the recognation Shili's four servant spirits. But the legend says nothing concrete about who would they be? So how can you know?" the Togruta just smiled_

„_We hadn't known either, who those spirits are, before Anakta was born. Shili has many servants, some you'd never guess to be. But in the moment Anakta's mother died, following her delivery, four of them showed up. The fires in the village –even the smallest ones- flashed up to thirty feet, with sapphire flames. The water erupted from the brooklet and from all containers into a waterspout of the same size, and it glowed with red light. The earth shook, and a lone cliff emerged from the ground, sparkling from all the ores, the earth could possibly contain. A twister emerged, and whirled in one place, sending chains of lightning up to the sky, thundering like thousand other storms combined. Hearing the riot, they caused between the villagers, weran out from the hut, with the newborn on my arms. She cried up. Her face glowed up. The four phenomena changed their shapes, they became like giant Togruta. They bowed towards Anakta, and dissappeared. There is no doupt about it. They were Shili's strongest servants Aû, Ilié, Zána and Næy: the spirits of fire, water, earth and wind."_

_End Flash_back

* * *

The girl reached his berth, and looked up to him quizzically. Her undisguised curiosity made Plo smile behind his mask.

„So, what is it you wish, child?" the girl replied with a line of thrills, and pointed on his mask and googles. Plo guessed she wanted to know why is he wearing them. However, before Plo could answer, Nikana stepped in:

„Anakta! Plo Juinan inenphii-zilia. Zilida moo taunna!" the girl's smile turned into a peevish grimace, but spun around and ran out without arguing. When she left, Nikana switched back to Basic:

„Sorry about that, Master Plo. Our children tend to be even more curious, than other people's."

„It's all right. Who's been raising her?"

„I have. Well, since my mother died, a year after her birth, that is. She is almost like my own. Why do you ask?"

„I've examined her presence in the Force. She's special, no doupt about it. Perhaps…" he let the sentence hang unfinished in the air. Nikana understood.

„You'd like to take her with you? To raise her as a Jedi?" she almost sounded to be begging.

„I…don't know, yet. I said she's special. But I'm not sure she's meant to become Jedi. Her Force-shape is not at all like a Force-sensitive's. Did she do anything less unusual, since the seconf sign? Since… she stopped that wild fire two years ago? Like moving objects with her mind, or reading the thoughts of others?" Nikana stepped next to him, and looked out of the window. Anakta was playing with the other children.

„Yes. After she stopped the fire, for two months, she could lift objects and other Togruta up from the ground, without touching, or even looking at them. But then it faded away. This ability of her's, had never shown up before that time, and hasn't since then either. However, her sences are rivaling our best hunters. They always did. I know this much: she wasn't born to live here with us, as an average Togruta. If she's the Linarali, she shouldn't stay here. Even the legend says: she'd leave her home with a warrior, who'll take her to a place, where she'll meet her destiny." Plo could see tears in her eyes.

„But you don't want it to happen, right?" Nikana looked at him.

„As I said: she's like my own daughter. I know she isn't, and that she has something important to do. But it doesn't make me feel any better, when I think about her leaving. However, if she has to, I'll handle it. I'm more worried about the villagers' reaction. I don't think they'd like the idea. They deify her. I doupt they'd leave her departure without harsh words at the very least." Plo sighed:

„For now, you don't have to worry about that. I won't be able to travel for weeks, at the best. And even after I've healed up, it would be hard to leave with my ship being a wrackage."

„There's another village, not too far away from here. A quick-legged, healthy Togruta adult, who can run whole day long, could get there in fifteen days. They've a transmitter there. I've already dispatched a messanger, to deliver the message. With the transmitter, they could call Cover City, which is about ten-thouasnd miles away from here, from where they could inform the Jedi Order, about your being here. I also told him to warn the Jedi about those beasts you're so worried about."

„_Fifteen rotations, until they receive the message. That's equal to about seventeen standard days, and another six, until the rescue team arrives- assuming the messenger won't be killed by Sul or her terentateks. Or another beast, that dwells on these savannas."_ Plo thought desparetly.

The door openned, and a young male entered. He called Nikana there. They spoke for a few minutes, then he handed over something to her and left. Nikana turned around, with Plo's lightsaber in her hand.

„He had found it, between what's left from your ship." she said, and gave it back to the Jedi. Plo didn't have to try, and ignite it. He could see, it was broken. _„This is getting worse by the minute."_

* * *

Night fell down to the small village. Most of it's inhabitants were already asleep, with the exception of the unusually high number of guards. After Nikana explained the situation to the adults, they decided to stricken the protection of the village. The guards were armed with about a dozen blasters, vibroaxes and other junky weapons the village had. Most of the weaponry must had been centuries old, but –through some miracle- they still operated. The only modern weapons they had, were two blaster riffles, which had been bought by a man, when he had been in Cover City a few years prior. They also had more „_traditional_" weapons: spears, bows and aroows.

Plo Koon was awake as well. He was trying to repair his lightsaber, with parts the villagers brought to him, from the remains of his fighter. Fortunately, the Crystal didn't break in the lightsaber, that gave him some hope. The Kel Dor was heavily concentrating to his work, he didn't let his worries, nor the pain in his right arm and chest, to disturb him. He didn't pay attention to the spreading numbness in his left upperarm, where the poison from the terentatek's scratche entered his body. Now, that the weak antidote's effect wore off, the venom started eat away his nerves and muscles. Nikana's herbals barely could slow it down. But he didn't care. There was too much at stake. Finally, after hours of intense work, he was ready. Plo had no doupt about that, he would have to replace his ligthsaber, once he'd had gotten back to the Temple, but for the time being, at least that damaged, old one worked. Plo relaxed his stiff muscles, after the long, tiring labor.

The night was silent. In fact, taking to account, that they were in the middle of a savanna, with rich wildlife, it was too silent. Plo extended the reach of his Force-sences, but he couldn't feel anything suspicious. Still, the twinge in his heart told him otherwise. He stood up, and turned around:

„I had a feeling you've survived." he said. Sul was standing in front of him. Her once beautiful face was distorted beyond recognition. Her left eye stared blidly into the distance, while the skin around it was horribly burnt. Her right montral missed it's top half, and her head-tails were full of fresh and deep scars. Her righ arm was hanging spasticly, while her left knee was barely supporting her. Both were visibly broken. Her cloathes soaked in her blood. Her facial expression, spasmodic breathing and the feverish look in her one remaining eye, left little doupt: she was dying.

„Where are your pets? I thought you wanted to use them to track down Force-sensitives." Plo asked.

„They died, just as you planned it, _Master._" she replied. She compressed so much hate, disgust and disdain in the last word, that it made Plo shiver. However he answered calmly:

„I did what I had to. I'm sorry, Sul. Your fall to the Dark Side, is without doupt my failure as a teacher. Now, you'll have to pay the price, for my mistakes." he ignited his ligthsaber. Then he gripped Sul through the Force, and threw her out of the hut. He went after her. She didn't try to hide or evade the meeting. She drew her weapon too, holding it in her left. They clashed. And she was laughing. After a few pairies Plo broke through her defense, and impaled her on his lightsaber.

But Sul only laughed, and tried to strike the surprised Kel Dor. Plo cautiously evaded, trying not to overstrain his injured body. Thinking her last attack had been her final, he turned to her, being sure about that she was already on the ground. But Sul laughed maniacly, and ambushed him again. Her broken right arm trusted forward, she Force pushed Plo with unimagineable strength, slamming him into a tree. The Jedi Master groaned as he felt another couple of his ribs break. And Sul was closing by to him, laughing on that dry, joyless tone. Somewhere in the darkness, a blaster barked up. Red jets of light struck Sul. But she just laughed and continued to walk towards her Master. One clear, twang, and a long arrow hit Sul's skull across. But she did't stop, only laughed histerically.

„What kind of Black Arts is this?" Plo asked. Terror clenched his hearth. In this minute dozens of ten feet tall monsters, armed with gigantic claws and tusks stepped out from the darkness, and into the light of the village's campfires. Sul snickered.

„Have I forgotten to mention, that I had found Darth Sion's Holocron?" Plo paled.

„You didn't…" he said deningly. Sul laughed, but now that Plo was listening closely, he realised it was more of a powerless scream of endless agony.

„I sure did. No matter what would you do, I won't die." she reached up, and with a sickening plop, she pulled the arrow out of her head. She stepped to Plo, and whispered menacingly:

„You can't kill me, because I'm already dead." she pointed on the terentateks „And so are they…"

* * *

**REVIEW PLEASE!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Hello there, I'm finally back!**

**Sorry about the long break, I've got two excuses, one is worse than the other: 1: I kinda shot myself in the ass with making Sul undead (that idea came totally out of the blue, I simply caught myself typing it down without thinking it over), so it took me several tries until I came up with the sollution you'll be reading in a few moments, and 2: I had exams (on which I miserably failed :( ). But that's the past, move over :)**

**Thank you all for the reviews!**

**StarwarsRocksMySocks: Yeah, of course Ahsoka got some bruises, but those aren't significant storywisely. They'll be taken care of later. **

**Aldamonburst: The Togruta words in this story are completely made up by me. Since there isn't a single official word on Togruti in the EU works I know, you can say I speak Togruti, since I invented it ;P That one sentence in the previous chapter, that Nikana told to Anakta -oh who am I kidding it's pretty obvious who she is, isn't it?- means "Anakta, Master Plo needs to rest. Leave him alone!" or something like that.**

**I hope you'll like this chapter too.**

**Now then once upon a time...XDDD**

* * *

„_How could've she turned out of herself like this? And to think, I believed that she might be the Chosen One…Sul…What've happened to you?" _Plo thought. The terentateks surrounded the village. The Togruta screamed in terror. Those who had blasters shot at them, but for no avail. The laserjets couldn't hurt them even if they had been alive. The beasts threw themselves at the villagers. Before they could react, three man lost their limbs to the blade sharp claws. _„What's going on here? It's one thing that she managed to keep herself alive, eventhough her body received lethal wounds, but how was she able to re-animate those monsters? Their bodies're supposed to be immune to the Force!"_ Sul was still laughing. Then she attacked. Plo blocked her lightsaber with his. Their faces were inches away from each other. The two laser blades painted Sul's scared face in yellow and green light. She hissed like a feline and flashed her sharp, canine teeth. Then licked her lips. „_What kind of nightmare is this?"_ Plo asked himself. In this moment, Sul broke the saberlock, spun around and with one untraceably quick move she severed Plo's left arm just below his shoulder. Before he could make a move, or even scream, her weapon had run through his chest.

For a moment the world darkened in front of the Jedi Master. He didn't feel pain. He didn't feel anything at all. Then he sensed the Force surrounding and embraceing him, like never before. _„So this is what death feels like…It's strange, but not at all bad. I'm just sorry it came so soon. I let everyone down. The village, no the etire planet will suffer, because I failed as a teacher. Sorr…"_ but in this moment burning pain erupted in his chest. In and out, in and out. Something stuck him repeadetly. He tried to sream, but his lungs had been already completely destroyed. Plo looked up to his tormentor. It was Sul. Wait…_ Looked? „Am I not dead?"_ The girl giggled.

„You won't get away from me so easily, Master. I want you to feel the agony I'm in right now. I'll keep you trapped in your body, and I'll continue torturing you, almost sending you to the otherworld, just to drag you back from the edge of everlasting peace, again and again, until you completely crack up and even forget who you were!" she pulled out her lightsaber from his chest, and chopped of both his legs. Plo was almost blinded by the anguish. Both of his arms fliched. Then it struck him: both his of arms fliched! _„Wait a minute…She cut off my left, didn't she?"_ the thought ran through his mind. Then Sul engulfed him in a barrage of lighting. Beyong the buzzling Plo heard Sul scream „I'll turn your remaing time into a real nightmare!"

As she said the word „nightmare", it automatically triggered a memory…

* * *

Flas_hback_

„_You will tell us who hired you!" Plo said and waved with his hand. The Trandoshan bounty hunter only laughed._

„_HrhahraNo, I won'tssh" the Jedi Master sighed and turned away. He and Sul, his eleven year-old Padawan have been interrogating him for three days now, since his failed attempt on the wookie chieftain, Tarfful's life, but the mercenary was strong willed, and even had a mild Force-sensitivity, so their Mind Tricks didn't even faze him. They couldn't even make him to tell his name. The girl stepped forward. Her face reflected determination._

„_Master, let me try something!" she said. Plo didn't think she could break him, but nodded nonetheless. He was out of options here. Sul held up her right palm, just above the reptilian's forehead, and closed her eyes. „Is she trying to read his mind?" Plo wondered, but shook his head. They already tried that about a dozen times, but it was in vain as well. For a few minutes nothing had happened. Then the Trandoshan started to shiver. He grunted, and shook his head deniingly. He hissed a few worlds in Dosh. Then his mouth openned to scream, but no voice came from his mouth. His body tensed against his bands, his face was distorted by pain, his eyes gauged, like they could pop out at any moment._

„_SUL!" Plo thundered, saturating his voice with the Force. The girl shriekred and stopped whatever she was doing, turning back to her Master. The Transdoshan's body went limp. His limbs were shaking uncontrollably, his breathing was heavy and shallow, like he had indeed been tortured._

„_All raghight. I'll tell you everytshsing." he whispered. The cocky self-confidence from earlier disappeared from his voice._

„_What in the universe have you done to him?" Plo asked Sul. The already small statured girl had visuably shrunk from the expostulatory tone, but she didn't reply, just gazed the floor in front of her legs. „I asked you a question, Padawan!"_

„_I…have stimulated his nerveous system through the Force. At first I wanted to make him think we're his kin, by forcing his optic nerves to channel a fake picture, and blocking his memories of us, but it was too diffucult. I got frustrated, and…"_

„_And you hijacked his pain sensory nerves in his entire body." for a moment Plo was too stunned by the shock of that the young girl was capable such an effort, even to be angry with her. He was thinking furiously: „The fact that she is able to do something like cellular manipulation is increadible, but to use it like this, is downright outrageous. Torturing somebody was the last thing I expected from her." It took a few minutes until he could say another word, and even then his voice was trembling from disappointment and anger:_

„_Never, you hear me, never again use torment on someone!" the girl sent him a hurt grimace, and tried to argue:_

„_I didn't do it on purpose! And besides, I didn't lay a finger on him! He just thought he was in pain!"_

„_No! Maybe he wasn't physically damaged, but the pain you made him feel was real! Using terror and torment to control others, is wrong. It's the way of the Dark Side. Never use this technique again! Understood?" the girl bowed her head, and muttered:_

„_Yes, Master. I'm sorry."_

_End Fla_shback

* * *

Plo strained his muscles as the Force Lightning ran through his whole body. He focused, and did everything he could to lock the shoking pain out of his mind. He tried to clunch his fingers together with his supposedly amputed left arm. He made it so the long and sharp talon on his middle finger would slightly cut his palm. And despite he couldn't see or feel his hand where it used to be, he felt the clear sting as his claw tore up his skin, and pierced into his flesh.

„_So I was right!"_ he though and moved his arm, and slammed his talon where his left thigh had been, and broken it into the muscle tissue it found. Altough at first it seemed and felt like he was waving with the stub of his upperarm, the two twinges of real, physical pain he felt, cleared his head, and broke Sul's control over his nerves. He was standing in the front of the tree, where Sul's pushed him earlier. Sul who looked exactly like in the vision, was standing about forty feet away from him. All three of Plo's limbs were in their places, and all the terentateks disappeared. _„So she really is dead, but everythingelse was a halucination."_ The Togruta were kneeling in the dust, screaming in anguish, shooting and flinging in random directions with their melee weapons. Plo shriked.

„I should've expected this now, that you descended so low. Still I can't believe you improved your Nerve Manipulation technique to such a high level, since you left the Temple. You've been developping it ever since you had first used it, five years ago, haven't you?" Sul smiled

„No. I've started to practise with it only one and a half year ago, after we had failed on Akron. Apparently it's not perfect yet, otherwise, you couldn't have possibly break it. How did you figure it out?"

„Paying attention to the small details was never your strength." Plo looked around. „First of all everyone knows terentatek hide is completely unaffected by the Force. So even if you managed to take control of their minds, there were still noway you could've re-animated the carcases." _„If the Togruta are kept in this state for long, they'll eventually go insane. I've got to figure out something..." _to draw the girl's attention, he asked:

„How did you practise this wicked halucination techique anyway? I mean, you surely couldn't use training droids for that. Who were your test subjects?" the girl smiled, but it was so cruel and cold, it almost froze the blood in the Jedi Master's veins.

„At first I tried to practise on animals, but it just didn't feel right…"

„_Feel right? She's talking about a brutal tormenting techique!"_ Plo though.

„…and I couldn't check the results of the halucination part on them either. So I…" her smile widened into a madman's grin, and Plo suddenly understood what she had done:

„…used it on myself!"

* * *

For a moment Plo tried to convince himself, that he had heard wrong, but Sul's expression left no doupt about the opposite. She giggled again. Plo sighed _„So that's how it is. That's the only way I can imagine her to become so twisted. That failure hit her very hard. She felt responsible for that tragedy. So she started to work on something that quarantees, that she'd always get the right informations in the future. But by practising it by torturing herself, she sunk deeper and deeper into madness. Her brain couldn't deal with the situation. It must've been a slow process, then before she left Corruscant, she must had stepped over the line. I can't believe, I didn't notice it. That's why she said she had always wanted power and nothing else earlier. She really thinks that's true, because she damaged her brain, memories and personality so horribly. She's a victim of her own guilt."_

„It's a pity, I can't use this technique on you. I would've liked to listen to your screams a little longer. But you know what? I'll compansate it with the villagers. Now Master, you will die!" with one wave of her hand, she tore Plo's lightsaber out of his grasp, crumpled it into a small metal ball, and threw the useless weapon out from the village. Then she unleashed a barrage of Force Lightning, more powerful, than either of the earliers. Plo prepared, he hoped he could at least reflect the first wave back to the her, but he was quite sure, he'd be dead in the moment a spark touched him. However he didn't find out about it. Someone screamed over the riot, on a clear, high voice. Plo trembled, and fell on one knee. All of a sudden the Force had abandoned him. But he wasn't the only one. In that same instant, the blue-white energy tendrils of the Lightning dissolved into nothing. The Togruta who until then had been trapped in Sul's illusion, stopped screaming, and slowly stood up, gasping heavily, looking to each other confused, unable to comprehend the situation. A golden light flashed up from the direction of the huts. Plo looked there and saw the glowing figure of an adult female figure, resembling, but not entirely a Togruta standing there. Before he could get a better look at her, a blood-freezing, growling scream of pain and recoil drew his attention to itself. Sul was grasping her head and her arms furiously. Plo's eyes widened behind his googles in surprise. The Dark Jedi's body started to decay rapidly. Plo tried to focus on the Force, and trough his severly weakened connection to it, he felt something very odd: it was like a minatute, but powerful black hole sucked out the Force from around them, and was feeding on it, getting bigger and bigger by the minute.

„YOU!" Sul howled at the glowing figure, while she watched her corroding hands in utter disbelief. „You're the one, I've got to kill!" she collected every drop of strenght she had, and attacked the woman with Force Lightning. However it was entirely pointless. The electrical surge was immediately warped up into a spiral, and sucked in by the strange phenomenon, leaving the object of the attack unharmed. Before Sul even had a chance to surprise, ruby red water erupted from the pod at the village border and flowed over her, tearing out a bluely glowing ghost form form her body, before disappearing into thin air. Then sapphire flames erupted under her feet, incinerating her body withing a moment. A windstrom came, and blew her ashes away, then two rock pillars grew out of the ground, merging into one around her bones, before sinking back to the earth. And Sul Caas, the insane Dark Jedi, who not long ago, had been the most promising member of the Jedi Order, was no more.

The glowing figure disappeared with the rock, now hiding Sul's remains, leaving the fragile figure of a small Togruta child, where she was standing. The little girl collapsed…

**_End Fla_shback**

* * *

„Later we've found out, that the first messanger had been killed by Sul a couple of hours before she came to the village. After that, we've sent another messanger to the other village, to inform Master Yoda about Sul's death, and warn him to come Shili alone, and in secret if possible." Master Plo said „When Yoda had arrived, and heard the story, we agreed on that this should be kept a secret, and that we should bring the girl here. Altought her powers faded away after she stopped Sul, I was sure it would eventually return. Since I didn't want this to happen, before she was ready to try and control it, I used an ancient Baran Do technique, to seal away that throbbing „neutronstar" to the depth of her sub-conscious. I also gave her a new name, to make sure noone ties her to these events. It was Ahsoka Tano."

* * *

**I think I didn't made the difference between Sul's technique, and Jedi Mind Tricks clear enough in the stories. A Jedi Mind Trick bends the will -the psyhe- of it's subject to the will of the user. Sul's technique uses the Force to control the nerve endings of the body, similarly to how a Jedi or Sith can use Force grip to move objects. So Mind Tricks are psyhological, while Sul's is physical control.**

**I hope you enjoyed it.**

**PLE****ASE REVIEW!**

******P.S: **I'll try to speed up the story. Thank goodness summer holiday arrived, so I've got plenty of time now, but I can't promise anything. In any case I really hope to finish this fic, before Ahsoka's offical destiny is revealed in the series.


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello!**

**Sorry for the hold up, but finally here're the next one and half chapters. I say one and half, because, 'tho I post them separately because of the different tones and subthemes, they're techically one chapter. Before going further, let me explain while did it take me so long to update with two such short chapters. ****But, first things first: StarwarsRocksMySocks, elle baybee, AldamonBurst, and Miss Annikin Starkiller thank you all for the reviews.**

******Miss Annikin Starkiller: Thank you very much for going into details of what you like about the story so far, and thanks for suggesting toning down Anakin's angst. I started to feel that I went overboard with it a bit, but my specualtion was that, he's ought to be angrier in a timeline where he lost his mom, and Padme within a day, so I figured he should be very close to his EP3 portrayal. I'll try to tone it down step by step, as his realtionship with Ahsoka develops.**

******So now my pathetic excuse for the late:**

**For once, I felt the idea I'm working on, is very farfetched from the SW universe, and it really took my confidence away, and it also started get complicated to synchronise it, with my earlier ideas. So I took it into account to ditch the whole thing, and go back to the original plans. This of course, would've resulted in rewriting the last 3 chapters quite a bit, for which I couldn't make up the strenght to do. Ultimately I decided to go along the path I choose for the story, so without further ado here it is!**

**I hope you'll like it! If you feel I went way out of my way with this idea, don't shy away, tell me, and I'll try my best to rebuild this part of the story.**

**SO PLEASE REVIEW!**

* * *

It took quite a few minutes before Ahsoka looked up again to the Masters around her. She asked quietly:

„Why can't I remember any of this? I vaguely remember Nikana, the village, even your arrival Master Plo. But nothing of Sul and what happened to her." Plo crouched down to her, and put his hand on her shoulder.

„You had been asleep when Sul arrived, and most likely it was the screaming of the villagers, that woke you up. Besides you were very young, and probably even the seal I used has something to do with it." Ahsoka was speechless. Eversince she became Anakin's padawan, she dreamt about becoming his equal, but never hoped she could ever be as important or powerful as him. No that she heard this story, it made her wish she'd been an average Jedi –well if something like that was even possible. _„Like I didn't have enough problems already."_ she risked a glance towards Anakin, but his face was unreadable. _„No, stop it, don't think about him! I've got to concentrate to here!" _She turned to Yoda, but before she could ask him, Master Ti spoke up.

„Sorry to interrupt, but I think it would be better if we moved to somewhere else. Ahsoka, I know this must've been a shock, but there are more things to discuss, and they need to be kept in perfect secrecy. Go, change your clothes, patch up your bruises, and calm your mind. We'll wait you in an hour, in the Council's meditation chamber. Skywalker, Master Plo, Master Yoda please come with me." with that she walked away. Yoda and Plo followed her, Anakin however hesitated. He wanted to make sure, that Ahsoka hadn't been seriously injured, but after what happened between them earlier, it felt really awkvard to stay alone with her. Ahsoka must've noticed his problem, because she whispered to him:

„Ana…Master I'm fine, please go ahead." from how cautiously she avoided eyecontact with him, as well as from that she wanted to, but ultimately did't call him on his first name, Anakin realised she felt even more uncomfortable about the thought of being left with him, than he himself. He nodded and turned towards the door, but before leaving he still managed to squeze a question out of himself:

„You sure, you're okay?" Ahsoka sighed

„You worry too much. Master Ti wasn't trying to hurt me."

„_That's not just what I meant"_ Anakin wanted to say, but instead he nodded again, and bolted out from the Room of a Thousand Fountain.

* * *

Ahsoka waited until the door closed behind her Master, then laid back, staring at the ceiling. Her head was spinning, partially from the beating she took, but mainly from the story she heard. _„What's going on here? Eversince I became a Padawan, I've always tried to keep things around me, under my control as well as I could, and it worked as many times as it didn't. But lately everything's been running wild around me, and I couldn't do a thing against that. I couldn't even control myself"_ she thought, remembering how she dismissed Anakin's warning about Ala, how she had run after those two, despite knowing it could've been suicide, and how she threw herself on Anakin just a few hours ago. And now, it turned out that –for Master Plo, and the residents of her home village at least- she's also some sort of „chosen one". She recalled what Master Plo said about the legend, that Nikana belived she'll fullfill:

„_Therefore hie decided that, at the werge of that cataclysm, a person will come, who will have the power to pull back the universe from the edge of destruction. But Shili feared, that this person would be just as fallible, as the rest of hir creation. For this reason, a guardian will be sent, to guide, protect and keep him or her on the right path."_

„_Okay, this person, who can save the universe, is definitely refering to the Chosen One"_ Ahsoka thought _„and if they belive that Anakin is the Chosen One, while I'm the Linarali… could it be that Master Yoda assigned me to him, because of this?"_ the idea made her seriously upset. It felt like the past one year was nothing but a lie. She didn't earn her staus as a Padawan, she wasn't chosen to be Anakin's apprentice, because of her achivements in her studies as a youngling, but because they wanted to assure the Chosen One's safety in the war, by pairing him up, with the one who's supposed to protect him anyway. _„Didn't it occur to them, that I could barely do anything to protect him back then?"_ she asked herself clenching her teeth with anger _„I almost got him killed on our very first mission!"_ she still remembered with shame, how stupidly she activated those guard droids at the shield generator, but for some reason the fact that, she got him out of that mass as well, didn't ease her this time.

„_STOP THIS!"_ she yelled at herself mentally _„Don't question Master Yoda's reasoning without knowing a thing! He's surely not the one to make decisions based on an ancient myth, from a planet forsaken by the Force."_

„_I better go. I dodn't want to keep them waiting. Besides, I'll go crazy, if I think about this for an other second."_

* * *

„What was that about?" Anakin asked as he stepped into the meditation chamber. The three Masters already took their seats. He was speaking to Shaak Ti, who already put on her usual heavy robes above the provocative clothes.

„What do you mean?" the woman asked.

„Don't you think, Master Plo's given her more than enough to chew on? You should give her time to think, not throwing even more on her!"

„You're far too concerened for her, Skywalker." she said sharply „She's a Jedi, so she should be able to accept sudden news like this story. She can have time after I told her, what I have to. This is urgent. You senced the disturbace in the Force caused by her, didn't you?"

„Off course I did. Why…"

„I can quarantee that, every Force-sensitive in the Galaxy had felt it, 'tho might not as clearly as we did. Now take a seat, and calm yourself! I'll explain everything, once your Padawan arrived." Anakin really started to run out of patience, but bowed regardless and muttered an apology, before sitting down. While they were waiting, Anakin tried to meditate, but his thoughts were too scattered, runnig so wild, he struggled from trying to cover them from the Masters. When Ahsoka stepped in twenty minutes later, he felt extremely releaved –not least because she was wearing her new clothes, which weren't showing nearly as much as either her old ones, or the ones she wore during her fist-fight with Shaak Ti.

„Take a seat Padawan." the elder togruta said.


	14. Chapter 14

Ahsoka sat down, facing the four Jedi. Shaak Ti closed her eyes for a minute before she started to speak:

„I know you must have tons of questions, but please be patient. First I must tell you what I realised during your Aalch'ikti. This explanation will be very long, and it might'll answer some of your questions, without you having to ask." she paused for a moment „What I'm about to tell you, is a rather deficient knowledge, but still, I can assure you, I know the most about this matter, in the entire Galaxy. I've gained this knowledge, while I was training my own Padawan in complete isolation, on Shili.

The Togrutas are nomads today, and this had been like this as far as our historical records go. Shili has very few ruins left by our ancestors. One of them is the 'Tien'tom o Lienjeg', which is well over a hundred-thousand years old. Those ancient walls are hiding unimaginable secrets. It's not an exaggregation to say, that all the knowledge we, Jedi have gathered in the Archives, are incignificant compared to the smallest piece of information within that place. I merely scrached the surface of that ocean, and it nearly overwhelmed me.

Before I go on, you must understand the nature of Force. As you know the Force is an energy-field, that surrounds, and imbide everything within the universe. The Force comes from every single energyfilled particle, or on other words from everything that exists. The Force is the ultimate testament of existence in the universe. However, exactly because it's tied so thighly to existence, not even the strongest Force-users are capable of breaking or altering the rules of reality. For example, we can't create energy out of nothing. The best we can do with the Force, is transforming one form of energy into another, which is alone very hard to accomplish. But this law doesn't apply to everyone." she paused, trying to gather her thoughts.

„Long ago, there were a few amongst our people, who had the ability to ignore, or even over-write the laws of reality. Only once in each five century, a Togruta had born on Shili, who's powers were well beyond our understanding. They were called 'Lienjeg Őrzők', which could be translated as 'Essence Tamers' on this language.

At this point I think I should express, that I know very little of them, as well as their powers. The Temple –which was build by the Tamers- in a sence is similar to a Holocron. Just like the Holocron can only be activated by a Force-user, the Temple won't share it's secrets, with anybody. Altought Togruta with very strong connection to the Force can access to some the information within, only the Tamers themselves were able to unlock all the secrets. Most of what I know is speculation, based on what little I could find out from the pieces of information the Temple revealed to me. Therefore what I'm telling now, is vague and ambiguous.

So, the Tamers…I don't know where their power comes from, but I know some of it's working. As I said earlier, they're capable of altering the laws of reality. For instance, the first known Tamer, who built the first chambers of the Temple, had the ability to almost freely manipulate both space _and_ time. He was even able to change certain events in the past." Ahsoka until this point listened very carefuly, but Master Yoda's, Plo's and Anakin's reactions to this statement distracted her. The two elder Masters looked just as shocked as she felt, but Anakin's expression scared her a bit. For a split second she saw uncontrollable desire running through his face, and she thought she had heard his breathing got stuck. With relatively great effort, Ahsoka drove her mind back to Master Ti's explanation:

„The name he called this ability by could be translated as „Dimension Taming", which suggests he was capable of even more than this, but I can't be sure about it. On the other hand, I know the exact capablities of the last known Tamer. He was the only one to gain wider reputaion in the Galaxy, as he died protecting Shili in Exar Kun's war." She stopped for a moment, before asking Ahsoka „Have ever heard of the Shaddow Forest of Shili?" Ahsoka nodded unsurely. The name sounded familiar, but it didn't necessarily mean she knew what the Master was talking about. Names like this had become cliché, about a million years ago.

„It is the creation of the last Tamer. He used his powers to transform the invasional army –with many power Sith Lords in it's ranks- into wood." Ahsoka dropped her chin, and the Masters seemed shocked as well –apparently this was new information for them as well, despite what Ti said about this Tamer's wider reputation. The Togruta master continued, not noticing –or pretending to- the confusement her words caused:

„He achived this because he was able to freely reconstruct the particles of any living cell in any organism. By turning their bodies into trees, he entrapped their souls, permanently. However" and now her voice turned rather grim „he paid a heavy price. He didn't survive his victory. To stop the Sith he overused his ability, lost control of it, and died." at this point Ahsoka lost her patience. As intriguing as the story was, she couldn't see where Master Ti was going with it:

„But what does all of this have to do with me?" she asked. The elder Togruta looked at her, and sighed:

„I don't know if the legend of the Linarali is true or not. Frankly, I don't really believe in prophesies and myths at all. But I know it for a fact, that the ability of most of the known Tamers was to manipulate the Essence of the four ancient elements, or rather the four aggregates they symbolised. I don't really understand this part, as I'm not an Essence Tamer, and I could unlock only a very few secrets they left in the Temple. But I'm convinced about that, you possess this ability, Ahsoka. It was this power you instinctively used to stop Sul Caas, and you used it again today, during your Aalch'icti, when I pushed you to your limits." Ahsoka couldn't belive what she was hearing.

„No, you must be mistaken." was all she managed to gasp, but Ti continued, indifferently:

„There's no mistake. What I know about them, is in complete synch with Master Plo's story, and you've shown two unmistakeable signs tonight, One of course is the way you blocked the boulders I hurled at you. The other is how you responded to my Ch'icti o akul. It's a fighting style designed by the Tamers. It has seven circles, and you immediately learned a the forth, barely by watching me, performing the third." she paused meaningfully, before stating what all the others already figured out in the room:

„Ahsoka, you're an Lienjeg Őrző."

* * *

**Fhu, I finally got here.**

**I guess it's quite obvious, so I tell now, that the inspiration I mentioned, in my comment on CH9, for these ideas, mainly came from Avatar: The Last Airbender, and partially from Naruto.**

**PLEASE REVIEW, and please tell me you opinion about the way I'm going with this story.**


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